Blows to the Heart
by valeriedarking
Summary: When a new girl moves to Encino, California and begins to train at the Cobra Kai dojo, she catches the eye of West Valley High's Ace Degenerate Johnny Lawrence and fresh-out-of-Jersey Daniel LaRusso. Set during the first Karate Kid movie. Johnny/OC/Daniel
1. Chapter 1 - The New Girl

**There is no Ali-with-an-"I" in this story. I took the liberty of removing her character, simply because I wanted to keep most of the original storyline, and adding in a separate character while having Ali in the picture would ruin that. I do not own any of the characters except for Quinn and Dean Gray. I wish I could own Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, but... unfortunately I do not. ;)**

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**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

When my alarm clock rang, I slammed my hand down on it hard and then pulled my covers over my head. Five more minutes wouldn't hurt anyone. Besides, I didn't want to get up just yet. If I did, that would mean that I had to go through another day of talking to my brother, and I was in no mood for that.

It was so unfair that I had to go live with him. Just because our parents died didn't mean that I wasn't capable of handling myself. I was nearly eighteen and I was perfectly fine with living in Salem, Oregon all alone.

It isn't unusual for brothers and sisters to fight, but this fight wasn't an ordinary quarrel between him and I. Ever since I was born, I looked up to my brother because I thought he was just the coolest person in this world. He is 12 years older than me, so he's always been my role model. I guess it's only normal, right? Younger siblings tend to admire older siblings. They tend to wish to be like them. They tend to do everything that their older siblings do.

Well it was exactly like that for me. Up until I was five, I always looked up to him and thought he was the greatest freaking person in the world. But what I didn't know was how much of a foul twerp he really was.

Very often, I would overhear my brother and my parents arguing. I never really knew why they argued because the door would always be closed, but I knew that he and them didn't get along. And a few months before he turned eighteen, he walked out on us and never came back.

I resented him for that. As I grew up, I developed a strong hatred for him. My parents never really liked to talk about why he left, but I knew that he must have gotten into a lot of trouble – probably with drugs and alcohol. They said that he was troubled, and that was my best guess of why he deserted us. He probably didn't want our parents to intervene with his lifestyle choice. Selfish bastard, that's what he was.

My parents went out to a party one night. It was an event hosted by my father's boss. I remembered picking out the pearl necklace that my mother wore with her dark purple dress, and I remember helping my father choose a tie to go with his suit. They looked so perfect and I wished that they would stay like that forever. But as I was falling asleep in my father's old armchair while reading a book, I was suddenly awoken by a loud knock on my door. It was about three a.m. and when I opened the door, I saw a cop standing outside. A feeling of dread overwhelmed me and I knew that he had bad news. And I was right. Apparently, my parents' car skidded off the road and into a tree where it caught on fire, killing them.

My brother showed up the next day and said that I had to come live with him. I wanted to just yell at him for abandoning us, and scream at him for showing his face after all these years, but after the shocking news of my parents' death, I hadn't protested. I just went along with it because I couldn't muster up the strength to make him feel remorse. Looking back on it, I should have.

But after packing my bags and riding in his car all the way to California, I couldn't cower behind my trauma anymore. I acted as cold as I could to him. And he got the message. I didn't like him and he would have to deal with it.

Just thinking about him made all of my fatigue vanish. I rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. The cold water reinvigorated me and fully awakened my senses. After drying myself off, I got dressed in a pair of black shorts, a loose white shirt and black Converse. As soon as I was done combing my hair, I grabbed my jean jacket from my closet and then rushed down the stairs and into the living room. My brother was reading the newspaper on the couch, and I walked to the door. But before I could open it, I heard him speak.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, not bothering to look up from his newspaper.

"I'm going out, Dean," I answered, trying not to have him ruin my mood.

"No, you're not," he said. "You're staying right here."

I frowned and then folded my arms across my chest. "You can't order me around like that. You have no right to tell me what to do."

"Actually, I do," Dean sneered, "and I will continue to have this right until you turn eighteen and move out."

There was no use arguing because I knew he was right. He was my brother, he was over eighteen, and he was the owner of this house. Thus, I had to do exactly as he told me to. And I couldn't wait until I turned into an adult myself so I could get the hell out and find a better place to live in. Anywhere – even on the streets – was better than staying with my horrendous excuse of a sibling.

"Fine. Why am I staying here?"

"Because I'm going to take you somewhere," he said while flipping over his newspaper.

I raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going to take me?"

He looked up. "You ask too many questions."

"Well, for all I know, you could be taking me to a brothel to sell me as a prostitute."

My brother scoffed. "I could only wish for it would be _that_ easy to get rid of you," he spat. And those words stung me hard, but I didn't let myself seem phased by it.

"You're not the only one," I sighed. "So, anyways, where _are_ you taking me?"

Dean didn't reply. I pursed my lips and then relaxed my arms, letting them hang by my sides. Then, I went inside the kitchen to grab some breakfast. Might as well eat since he's the one paying for all the food, right? Right.

I picked out some chocolate covered cereals from a cupboard above the sink and then took out the milk carton from the fridge. As I ate, my eyes kept themselves fixed on the round white clock on the wall next to the window. It was almost eight o'clock. Maybe it was stupid of me to even wake up so early on an August morning, but I was hoping to actually get out of the house and meet some people before starting school at West Valley High. I didn't want to be the loser with no friends, especially in senior year. It's not like I couldn't make any friends once I started school but it was better to actually know some people and have some familiar faces to go to on my first day.

But my brother wouldn't let me. It's like he personally wants to make my life a living hell. Which he shouldn't, because it's not like I was the one who left him almost thirteen years ago. I just wish that he would stop being an ass. _Maybe he would if you stopped being a bitch_, a voice whispered in the back of my head. But I wouldn't do that. I couldn't do that. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and I was about to be the coldest bitch anyone has ever seen.

Eventually, half-an-hour later, Dean got up from the couch and came into the kitchen just as I was washing my bowl and spoon. "You ready?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"For what?"

"Ready to go," Dean said as if I was the dumbest person alive.

I grabbed my jacket from the chair I was sitting on and then slipped it on. "I guess."

He walked me out of the house to his car – a red 1983 Ford Thunderbird that I found to be a really sweet ride (but of course I wouldn't tell him that) – and then we both got in. Immediately, I turned on the radio and Bruce Springsteen's _Born to Run_ came on. I shut my eyes and leaned my head against the window, trying to block out everything else but the music.

About fifteen minutes later, I heard the engine stop and my brother tapped my shoulder. "Wake up, we're here," he said.

I groaned and then unbuckled my seatbelt before getting out of the car. And when I did – after slamming the door closed – my jaw dropped.

A karate dojo.

Holy heavens and above, my brother took me to a karate dojo.

"What do you think?"

"Lovely place," I replied. "Now can we actually go to wherever you said you would take me to?"

"This _is_ the place."

I gave him an eye of disbelief. He shrugged. "I heard that you were a purple belt back in Oregon," he explained, "and I just thought that maybe you'd want to earn your brown and black belts."

"And how did you hear that?" I pressed on, raising my left hand to my hip.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Mom and Dad told me," he said. "We weren't completely out of contact, you know."

That angered me even more. He called and wrote to Mom and Dad, but he never once talked to me. He never once bothered to get to know me and actually see how I was doing. It made me despise him even more.

"Come on," Dean said. He held the door open for me, motioning to step in, and I grimaced at his act of politeness. I didn't need him to act nice. Being downright rude yet honest about it was better than putting on a façade of lies just to act nice. I hated it when people pretended to be something they were not. Which is why I hated the fact that my brother kept holding the door instead of letting it close in my face. But I walked inside, not wanting to ruin my mood even more.

And my breath was immediately taken away as soon as we both stepped inside. Sixteen boys – teenage boys, may I add – were all lined up in a perfect square as they were practicing tornado kicks in sync. I haven't done karate in nearly two years because the little dojo that I went to for training got sold to eventually become a hair salon. But just seeing these guys practice together in unison with every movement done at the exact same time, sent shivers through my body. It was surreal; I missed this.

Then, they all stopped abruptly and assumed their resting positions – arms slightly bent at the elbow in front of their abdomen – and waited for their sensei's instructions. A man in a black sleeveless gi patrolled through the rows with his hands behind his back. His head turned towards my brother and I, and an immediate feeling of fear struck me. His eyes seemed to pierce right through me, making me unable to move for some strange reason. I couldn't even force myself to blink anymore. My breathing became ragged.

"Class, we have two visitors," the sensei said, his austere voice resounding throughout the dojo. "Fall in."

They all straightened themselves up and I saw that two boys traded places with two other boys in the front row. I looked around and noticed that the four boys in the front row and the fifth boy from the second row were the handsomest ones from the whole class. They were all smirking – in fact most of the boys were smirking – at me. I glanced up at my brother, but he kept holding his cool demeanor. I hated him for that too.

"Hello, Kreese," Dean greeted.

"Gray," Sensei Kreese replied in the same voice. "Is this the little vermin?" he asked, inclining his head in my direction.

Immediately, my eyes narrowed themselves into a cold glare. "_Vermin_?" I spat. "I am not a _vermin_!" I turned my glare towards my brother. Obviously, he called me a vermin first when he talked to Kreese about signing me up for karate. Good to know that he thought so highly of me.

Both Kreese and Dean ignored me. "Yes," my brother answered. "She's a purple belt already."

"Good. Then she's not completely untrained."

Untrained? What was I, a dog? _Yes, you are quite a bitch_, a voice said in the back of my brain. _Shut up_, I told it.

A boy with light blonde hair and a black headband tied around his forehead from the first row snickered. He gave his friends a look that said it all. _We can whoop her ass any day._

Kreese turned to me. "In this karate dojo, we do not accept pain, we do not accept defeat, and we do not accept fear," he barked. "Is that clear?"

"Crystal," I answered, trying to look and sound as brave as I could.

"Very well. Get on the mat," Kreese instructed.

My eyes widened. "What?"

"On the mat," he repeated as if I was retarded.

I looked at my brother. "You never told me I had to fight!" I whispered.

"I didn't know!" Dean protested, however he was holding back a smile.

"I'm going to say this once more," I heard Kreese say. "On the mat, _now_!"

Reluctantly, I took off my shoes and my jacket and then stepped on the soft white mat. The boys parted themselves in front of me, forming a rectangle around the fighting zone. I cracked my knuckles nervously and then took in a deep breath. God, it's been almost two years since I've fought someone in a one-to-one practice combat. I tried not to panic, but I knew that these guys could pulverize me if they wanted to. I don't think that my gender would soften them up.

"Mr. Lawrence!" Kreese called out.

"Yes, sensei!" The boy with the black headband exclaimed.

"Feel like matching Ms. Gray?"

"Yes, sensei!" the boy repeated with the same amount of enthusiasm as the first time. He walked onto the mat and stood opposite of me.

"Go Johnny!" one of the boys cheered.

So that was his name. Johnny Lawrence. You know, if we were in a different situation, I might have gone so far as to call him _cute_. But there was no room for these pointless feelings in a combat. Either he won or I won, and I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing me lose.

I knew the routine. Johnny and I bowed to Kreese and then turned to bow to each other. I assumed a back stance and was ready to block Johnny's movements. However, the reckless part of my brain told me to strike first.

So I did.

And he dodged it.

Except Johnny didn't just dodge it. He grabbed my arm and did a roundhouse kick, hitting me straight in the chest. I landed on the floor, letting a small groan escape my lips. I really didn't want to seem weak, but it had been quite sometime since I had felt a roundhouse kick, and this feeling seemed awfully foreign yet familiar at the same time. I kipped-up and then got back into my stance.

"C'mon, Johnny!" another boy shouted. Johnny had a sneer plastered on his face, and I could tell that he really didn't like the fact that I had gotten up. He attacked first this time. I blocked his punch with my left hand, and that's when Johnny let his guard down for a quick second.

I didn't waste that second. I punched him in the chest, making him wince and pull backwards. His right hand rubbed the wounded area, but he always maintained eye contact. Great. Now I'd done it. I landed a blow on him and from what it looked like, this guy was gonna make me pay for it.

Johnny attacked again, and I blocked his strikes easily, but then, just as I blocked one of his front kicks, our gazes locked together for about two seconds. That's when I noticed how his cerulean eyes complimented his light blonde hair and gave him this Aryan look – almost like a Nordic prince or something. And as his icy eyes distracted me from the fight, Johnny spun around into a tornado kick, hitting me in the face.

I dropped to the ground again, trying to raise myself back up. The left side of my face stung badly. It was worse than a slap; I'd actually take twenty slaps over this. Somehow, I think that this kick was powered by his resentment towards the fact that I managed to hit him.

Without even bothering to take in the pain, I shot back up. I took a more offensive approach; this time, I was the one to start with the attacks. But one kick after another, Johnny blocked them or dodged them, and then countered with his own. But what was also very unnerving is the fact that he was unpredictable. I didn't know if he was going to surprise me with a kick or a punch or a hit… Hell, I didn't even know what _I_ was going to do. It all depended on his moves. I was taught to react based on the situation. If he kicked, I blocked. If I couldn't block it, I'd dodge it. If I couldn't dodge it, well… let's not get into that.

But once again, Johnny had me thrown across the mat. This time, I felt a warm liquid trickling down from my nose – which hurt like hell – and I wiped at it with my hand. Blood stained my skin, and its metallic smell made my stomach churn. Normally, I wouldn't feel this way, but since it was so damn close to my nose and the smell was stronger than usual, I felt like throwing up. But, of course, I didn't. Instead, I got back up again.

By now, Johnny must have been hella tired of me coming back for more. I bet he just wanted to end the fight, be declared a victor, maybe even rub it in my face, but I can tell you that he probably had enough of pounding me.

Yet I didn't stop. I kept going. And every time he brought me down, I stood back up again. No matter how good he was, Johnny could never actually get me to admit defeat. His blows weren't hard enough to make me stay immobile on the ground, and it's not because he couldn't strike hard enough (because trust me, he _could_ do that), but because I wouldn't let him. I wouldn't let him get that close.

So with each hit and kick that Johnny delivered, I still wouldn't back down. I still wouldn't let go and admit defeat. A lot of it was because of my God damn pride. I was sure that this guy had a shit ton of pride too, and an ego probably the size of the Titanic. If he were to get his butt kicked by a girl, it would just kill him.

Then Johnny gave his hardest kick yet, and this one was different from the others. It hit me in the chest like many of the previous ones had done, but the force behind this kick was greater than the one behind the others. I hit the mat on my back, and for a few seconds, I tried to remember how to breathe. I knew that he didn't hit me hard enough to break one of my ribs, but the pain was coursing through my whole chest as if someone had set it on fire.

No one was laughing now. I couldn't hear anyone snicker or giggle.

Suddenly, I began to cough violently, and with every muscle contraction in my abdomen, a new wave of pain spread through my body. Dean's eyes were wide and I don't blame him. He was probably horrified at the idea that he will have to pay for any medical expenses if I needed some kind of major surgery after this. Not like I did, but if my lung was… I don't know… perforated by a broken rib, the money for the medical care would come out of Dean's pocket.

After a few more seconds, I mustered up the strength to stand up, and once I was back on my own two feet, I shakily got into my back stance again, ready to fight him. Johnny glanced at his sensei, and a sinister smile spread across Kreese's face. He rested his hands on his karate belt.

"You're an incessant little vermin, ain't ya?" he asked. "I like that." He straightened up and his smile vanished. "Tomorrow morning at eight a.m., I expect to see you here for your first lesson."

"Hold up," I choked out. "I need one more match with the kid." I motioned with my head towards Johnny.

"No need for that now," Kreese assured me. "You'll have plenty of time later."

"Yeah, plenty of time to get your ass kicked," one of the guys whispered to his friends. All four of them snickered, but Kreese shot them a cold look that made them stop.

I reluctantly bowed at Johnny and then at Kreese. Kreese turned to Dean and they began talking, probably about the cost of each lesson. I tried to stand up straight, but my chest and back ached when I did.

I walked to where I had put my shoes and jacket, and after rapidly slipping my Converse on, I looked up at Johnny. He had a smirk plastered on his face and was now standing next to the four boys who had laughed on my part just a few seconds ago. They all had malicious grins and smiles on too. I huffed quietly and began to leave. As I passed Dean, I whispered, "I'll be in the car."

I just couldn't get those chilling blue eyes out of my head.

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**Review and tell me what you guys think! :)**


	2. Chapter 2 - Freddy Fernandez

"Don't talk to me," I hissed at my brother before locking myself in the bathroom. I heard Dean knock on the door a few times.

"Quinn, I had no idea that you had to fight," he protested.

I scoffed. "Shut up and leave me alone!" I yelled back. My gaze turned to the mirror, and I nearly gasped when I saw my reflection. I had bruises around my left eye, dried blood around my nose, and a slightly cut bottom lip, which was also covered in blood. Lovely. Just freaking great. How was I supposed to go out now? I'm sure that if anyone saw me, they'd think I was some kind of a troubled freak who got into fights. And that was not the image I wanted to give off.

What if they didn't heal by the time school started? What if I still looked like I had been a black belt's punching bag? I shuddered.

"Quinn?" I heard Dean say from the other side of the door. "Quinn, are you okay?"

"Oh, stop pretending like you care," I said.

I swear to God, Dean was frowning. "Now, what the hell does that mean?"

"It means that you can finish your act because you're not fooling anyone."

I knew Dean leaned against the door because I heard it shift slightly under his weight. "Are you saying that I don't care about you?"

"I don't know, Dean. _Is_ that what I'm saying? I mean, after not hearing from you for thirteen years, what else can I possibly conclude?"

That shut him up. Then, I heard him leave, and his footsteps grew quieter as he walked down the hallway. Finally, I had a moment of peace.

I took off my jean jacket and then let it fall to the ground. Then, I took off my white shirt. What I saw after that made me turn pale.

A sickly yellow bruise was forming on my ribcage. I fought back the urge to touch it, but after debating the idea for a few seconds, I decided that I had to make sure that none of my ribs were broken. They didn't feel broken, but I had to be certain. So, I took off my bra and ran my finger over each rib, applying a little bit of pressure without making the pain unbearable. It certainly hurt, and for the whole check-up, I held my breath, but once I realized that indeed, there was nothing broken, I relaxed and began to breathe normally. After putting my shirt back on and running a hand through my hair, I gave myself an encouraging smile.

"Next stop: the face," I said out loud.

I washed off the dried blood, making sure that I didn't miss any spots. My face certainly began to look better after the crusted red liquid was removed. My lip didn't look so bad either – the blood made it seem a whole lot worse. Really, it was just a small cut.

But there was no way I could fix my black eye. Sure, makeup would conceal it, but I hated wearing makeup, so that was clearly out of the question. Oh, what the heck? That black eye would just indicate that I am not afraid to get into fights, right?

I unlocked the bathroom door and then snuck up the stairs to my bedroom without making any noise. Out of my oversized dresser – half of it was empty – I randomly took out a loose light blue t-shirt and then changed into it. I tossed my white shirt – which had a few bloodstains on the front – in the laundry basket near the door, and then went back downstairs.

Dean was in the kitchen, banging a few pots around, probably in an attempt to make lunch. I stood in the doorway and cleared my throat. He turned around and opened his mouth to speak, but I interrupted him.

"Just don't," I said, lifting my palm up. "I came here to ask if I could borrow the car."

"You mean the Thunderbird?" he asked me, eyes widening.

"Yeah. That."

Dean let out a sharp laugh and then shook his head. "No one but me drives that car," he explained. "Sorry. No chance."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, do you have another car that I can borrow?" I persisted.

My brother rummaged through the fridge, taking out a few tomatoes, placing them on the cutting board on top of the marbled counter. "Why do you even need a car? Where are you planning on going to?"

"Out," I answered. To be honest, I didn't know where I wanted to go. I just wanted to get out of the house.

"Out where?"

Damn, he was inquisitive.

"Just _out_," I hissed.

He raised an eyebrow but then stopped with his questions. "There's another car in the garage," Dean told me. Before he began slicing the tomatoes, he took out a key attached onto a keychain in the shape of the letter _G_. Then, he handed it to me. "I haven't used it in a while, but I'm sure that it's still working fine."

I doubted it. God knows what _a while _means. It could be three years or five years or maybe even ten years.

I didn't even thank him. Instead, I ran out the door, slamming it behind me, and went inside the garage. His Thunderbird was parked in front of the house, probably because he still had some errands to run or places to go to. However, when I got to his garage, I stopped short in my tracks.

A black '68 Dodge Charger R/T was safely stored inside Dean's garage, just waiting to be used again. Despite the fact that Dean said it hadn't been used in a while, I could see that the car had been freshly washed and waxed. But that didn't matter; what mattered is that I got to drive it around, and honestly, I liked it better than his silly Thunderbird.

I hopped inside and stuck the key in the ignition. When I turned it, the engine began to purr softly, and my lips curled back into a grin. I gripped the steering wheel and leaned back against my seat before driving away.

Like I mentioned before, I didn't know where I wanted to go. All I knew is that I had to get away from Dean. What places could you go to if you wanted to have fun in Encino? Wasn't there something called _Golf 'N Stuff_? I remember my brother telling me about this place while he was driving to California. He said it was a cool, popular hangout for the kids from West Valley High. If that was the case, then that was the place I'd go to. After all, I'll be attending West Valley in a few days.

After driving around for about half-an-hour, I finally found _Golf 'N Stuff_. It wasn't hard to miss; the place was pretty damn big and there were a shit ton of signs around it that instructed me on where to go.

I parked the Charger in front of a few guys, and then got out of the car, locking it behind me. One of them catcalled.

"Nice ride," he said, grinning.

I gave him a coquettish smirk. "Thanks." Then, I walked towards the Arcade, head held high. I'm pretty damn sure that guy would've flirted with me if I had stuck around longer. But I wasn't really up for that.

Once inside the Arcade, I sort of just looked around for some games to play. There were dozens of options – from car races to skeet shooting – but table hockey caught my eye. A bunch of guys were all hanging around the table hockey area, so I walked up to them.

"Hey," I said. "Is anyone playing?"

A guy with tanned skin, brown hair, and a wide toothy grin looked at me. "Yeah. I am. Feel like versing me?"

"Sure," I replied. "Let's see what you've got."

The other three guys gathered around us. I easily scored the first point. Then, the other guy was about to score a point, but I blocked it. Eventually, the score came up to 4-0 in my favor. And then I scored the final point, making me the obvious winner.

"Dude, how'd you do that?" the boy asked.

I shrugged. "I guess it's because I played a lot. I didn't catch your name."

"Freddy Fernandez," he said, holding his hand out.

"Quinn Gray." I shook it.

"This is Kevin, David, and Ted," Freddy introduced his friends. I shook their hands as well. "Where do you go to school?"

"I'm supposed to be starting at West Valley High," I answered.

"No kidding! What year?"

"Senior. I take it you go there as well?"

They all nodded and we resumed playing. No one even came close to beating me, which surprised me because tons of my friends in Oregon could kick my behind at table hockey. After facing all of the guys at least twice, Freddy spoke again.

"I've been meaning to ask you this, but I didn't want to seem rude… what happened to your eye?" he asked.

I chuckled. "Do you want the short version or the long version?"

"Short version," Freddy decided.

"I got in a fight," I shrugged. I could tell from the look on his face that he wanted to know more. "You _did_ say you wanted the short version."

Freddy laughed and rolled his eyes. "C'mon, spill. What happened?"

I bit my bottom lip and then stopped playing. "Do you mind if we walk around while I tell you? It's a bit of a long story."

"Sure." All five of us left the Arcade and began walking outside. "So, I just moved here from Oregon and… well, I used to do karate back in Salem."

"Karate?" Freddy asked, eyes widening. "No way! Are you good at it? Can you, like, beat people up?"

"First of all, I do not _beat people up_ without a good reason. Second, I am a purple belt, which is two belts down from the black belt."

"You're kidding!" Kevin exclaimed. "So you can do all kinds of cool kicks and punches and stuff?"

I hesitated, unsure of what I should say. I didn't want to sound too cocky, but it was true; I could do all kinds of cool kicks and punches. "I guess." Then I cleared my throat. "Anyways, I moved to California to live with my brother, and this morning, he decided to surprise me and sign me up for a karate class. But the sensei wanted to see me fight, so he matched me up with a _black _belt – which was completely unfair."

"Who won?" Ted piped in.

I knew they would ask that. "Well, I'd love to say that _I_ did, but unfortunately, that black belt whooped my ass." I straightened up. "But I did manage to land a good punch in his chest. I think he still hates me for that."

"Probably," Freddy agreed. "So, where did you sign up for karate?"

My brows furrowed. "I don't know." And that was the truth; I didn't remember. I should've, but I didn't pay much attention to the name of the dojo.

"You don't know?" David snickered.

"Nope. I have no idea."

"Well, do you know the name of the guy that you had to fight against?" Freddy said.

Oh, I could never forget his name no matter how hard I tried. "Johnny Lawrence."

The guys stopped walking and stared at me with a horrified look on their faces. "_The _Johnny Lawrence?"

"Are there others?" I joked.

"This isn't funny. You're going to train at the same dojo as Johnny Lawrence?" Ted whispered.

"Yeah."

"So you're a Cobra Kai now. You're officially a Cobra Kai," Freddy continued.

"You're the only female Cobra Kai in, like, forever!" Kevin added

I frowned. "I'm a what?"

"A Cobra Kai. Johnny Lawrence goes to the Cobra Kai dojo, and since you do too, that makes you a Cobra Kai," Kevin explained.

"Would you stop saying _Cobra Kai_ all the freaking time?" Then, I sighed. "Sorry. But, still. Yeah, I guess I'm a Cobra Kai – whatever that is. Yeah, I fought against Johnny Lawrence, but so what?"

Ted chuckled. "Johnny Lawrence is the best student at the Co— I mean, you-know-where. He's the two-time champion at the All-Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament."

"Big freaking deal. I'm not afraid of him. In fact, he hits like a girl."

"He gave you a black eye," Freddy pointed out.

"So? I was going easy on him. I didn't want to get his blood all over the white mat in the dojo. His sensei would kill me if I did." The guys gave me looks of disbelief. "What? I'm serious! Sensei Kreese is scary, man."

"Uh-huh."

"Honest!" We started to walk again. "So why is Johnny Lawrence such a big deal around here?"

"Johnny's the Ace Degenerate of West Valley High," Freddy told me. "He's corrupted right down to the core."

I scoffed. "Puh-lease. _Ace_ Degenerate? No chance of that, kid."

"I'm serious! He smokes joints in the school washrooms with his friends and he's always getting drunk and-"

"That does not make you a degenerate."

"-and he beats people up just for looking at him and he sleeps around with older women-"

"Hold up," I interrupted him. "Johnny Lawrence has had sex? He still looks like a freaking virgin to me."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "And I suppose you know exactly how virgins look like."

"I'm staring right at you, so yes."

He playfully punched my arm. "Shut up."

"So I was right."

Kevin blushed and didn't say anything.

"Anyways, Johnny doesn't seem all that tough to me."

"He should. He's got no feelings and doesn't care about what people think of him. He's not afraid of hitting girls-"

"Neither am I, which is why I fought him today."

Freddy rolled his eyes. "I'm serious. You should watch your back. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

I let out a small laugh and then kept walking.


	3. Chapter 3 - No Fear, No Pain, No Defeat

I came home late that night after hanging around with Freddy and his friends all day. We joked around, laughed, and basically had a shit ton of fun – something that I could never do if my brother was around. Speaking of my brother, he must have gone off to bed already because all the lights in his house were off. I bumped my hip against the staircase railings as I tried to go up the steps without falling. I didn't need a second black eye. One was already enough.

When I got to my room, I shut the door behind me and took off my clothes before slipping under the soft white sheets. The fabric felt cool against my skin, and the AC just made it even better.

As soon as I closed my eyes, I fell asleep.

**JOHNNY LAWRENCE'S POV:**

I sat up in bed abruptly. Why the hell was I dreaming of her again? Ever since I went to bed, I've woken up twice before with the same girl on my mind – the one from the dojo today. I didn't even know her name, I didn't even know who she was, and I didn't even know why I was always thinking about her, but ever since I beat her up on the mat, she's been clouding my brain.

Groaning, I laid back down on my bed, running a hand through the wet hair that was stuck to the back of my neck. I tried to forget about her – tried to forget her face – but every single time my mind seemed to go blank, she would resurface in my thoughts.

I couldn't comprehend why this was happening, especially now, right when I needed to sleep. Couldn't this have waited until morning when I was actually awake and aware of what was going on?

God, what was her name? I wish I knew. I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out. After all, at eight a.m., she'll be there for her lessons.

Something inexplicable happened. My heart began to pound faster in my chest. I flipped onto my side and then tried to ignore it. But after a few more minutes of tossing and turning, I sat back up and rested my head in my hands. My stomach felt fuzzy and warm. Oh, God, it's not like I was excited for tomorrow. It's not like I wanted to see her again. In fact, I'd be grateful if I would never have to lay my eyes on her for as long as I live. Maybe that would get her out of my head for good.

_Who are you kidding, Johnny? _a small voice whispered in the back of my head. _You know you can't wait to see her again. Stop lying to yourself._

I exhaled sharply and then pulled the covers over my head.

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

It was seven twenty in the morning when I left the house. Sensei Kreese told me to be there at eight a.m. and since I didn't know where the hell I was going, I decided that I needed more time to figure out the fastest way to the Cobra Kai dojo.

Last night was horrible. I remember waking up in the middle of the night after dreaming of _him_. It was as if my mind was replaying yesterday's fight over and over again while I was asleep. Total nightmare, that's what it was.

Johnny Lawrence. God, would anyone kill me if I admitted that his name sounded sort of… cute? It fit him perfectly like an old pair of boots. I don't know why I even cared about his name, but it just clouded my mind along with everything else about him.

I sounded like such a girl, what with all the thoughts I had about some guy I just met yesterday. And for the record, that guy beat the living daylights out of me in a karate match. Normally, I wouldn't even bother to think about it anymore – I've gotten my ass kicked in karate so many times that I'd lost count – but this particular fight seemed to have had some kind of effect on me. I just wasn't sure if it was positive or negative.

I pulled up in front of the dojo and took in a deep breath. I was so God damn sure that I would get my ass kicked again today. Maybe if I wished hard enough, it wouldn't happen. But the odds of that weren't in my favor. I grabbed my sports bag from the seat next to me and then got out of the car.

It was seven forty-nine and there was nobody there yet when I walked in. Well, nobody except for Kreese.

"Good morning," I said, trying to avoid his eyes. "Um, I'm here."

"Clearly," Kreese replied. He motioned to a white karate-gi on the bench in front of the entry foyer. "That's what you'll be wearing in here at all times," he explained. "Everyday when you come in, you'll get changed into that. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sensei," I answered. I already knew that you were supposed to wear a gi when training in a dojo. I wasn't stupid; I'd done this before for almost seven years.

"Go get changed," he instructed. I bowed slightly before grabbing the gi and rushing to the change room doors at the back of the dojo. There was only one big change room, clearly meant for boys only. I guess I must be pretty damn special for Kreese to let me join the Cobra Kai. Either that or Dean paid him an extra large sum of money. Whatever the reason was, it didn't matter. I was grateful.

There were three long benches in the shape of a rectangle in the change room. Well, almost a rectangle, actually. I dropped my bag in the corner and then took my jacket and shirt off, only leaving on a white camisole. Then, I unfolded the white gi and looked it over, fingering the fabric gently as if it was terribly fragile. There was a cobra on the back of the gi, obviously meant to show that you belonged to the Cobra Kai if you wore it. It made me get a feeling of pride.

I slipped the gi on and then got my purple belt out of my sports bag. I was about to tie it around my waist when I heard loud voices. A few seconds later, the doors swung open and boys walked in. They all stopped short when they saw me. Among them were the five boys from yesterday – the ones that snickered when I got hurt.

My immediate thoughts were to snap at them and ask them what they're looking at. But I needed to maintain my cool. Instead of doing anything rash, I just gave them a smirk and finished tying my belt around my waist. Slowly, the guys put their bags on the benches but didn't make a move to change. They were either too shy or too shocked. Or maybe they were disappointed because they didn't get to see me without pants on. _Yeah, that's definitely it,_ my inner-self said. _'Cause every guy in the world is an absolute horndog_.

Possibly. Who was I to argue that?

I tied my hair back into a high ponytail and then did something that caught even me by surprise.

I winked at one of the guys. Not one of the five idiots from yesterday. Just at a random boy to my left. Then, I walked out of the change room with my head held high.

**JOHNNY LAWRENCE'S POV:**

I stared after her as she walked out. I don't know how long I was watching the door after she left, but Bobby shook my arm, snapping me out of my little trance.

"Earth to Johnny," he said. "You okay?"

I nodded and took my shirt off. "I'm fine," I assured him.

Tommy grinned. "You sure, pal? Your cheeks are kinda pink."

My hand shot up to my face. "No, they're not!" I exclaimed.

Dutch looked at me before taking off his shirt. "Yeah, they kinda are," he agreed. "It wasn't because of that girl, was it?"

I scoffed as I put on my gi. "No."

Bobby rolled his eyes as he got changed. "Bullshit. That's just bullshit, man."

I grabbed my belt and then began tying it around me. "Shut up, Bobby," I told him.

"Someone's getting angry," Tommy sang. "Seriously, man, do you have a thing for her?"

"God, no!" I shouted, getting everyone's attention. I gave them a look and they all went back to their changing. "Why would you ever think that?" I whispered, furrowing my brow in frustration.

"Because you were staring at the freaking door thirty seconds after she left?" Dutch said.

"Because you were blushing like crazy when we asked you about it?" Bobby added.

"Or is it because you can't look us in the eye whenever you deny the fact that you have a crush on her?" Jimmy wondered, teasingly.

I fixed his eyes. "I do not like her."

"You blinked," he pointed out.

I let out a groan. "You guys are insufferable," I told them.

They laughed.

What they didn't know was how right they were.

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

After our warm-up stretches, Kreese made us do fifty push-ups on our knuckles. On our _knuckles_! God, I hated doing push-ups in general, but on my _knuckles_?! It seemed as if my arms were going to give in after thirty, but then I got to forty, and finally to fifty. I wasn't one of the first people to finish, nor one of the last, but I would certainly need to improve my push-up abilities if I was going to train with the Cobra Kai.

Then, Kreese began talking. "Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it?" he barked.

"No, sensei!" everyone shouted. I raised an eyebrow and peered around.

"Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it?" he continued.

"No, sensei!" I tried to stop myself from bursting out into laughter.

"Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it?" Actually, it does because I got my ass whooped yesterday by a guy with a headband.

"No sensei!" the boys shouted.

One of the guys from yesterday gave me a look that told me to do what they did. The boy was sort of different from the other four. He had windswept, dark ash blonde hair, and really somber grey eyes. They were very different from Johnny's. Somehow, this guy's eyes seemed to show something called concern.

"Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it?" Kreese repeated.

I glanced around once and then tensed up. "No, sensei!" we all yelled.

"Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it?"

I breathed in. "No, sensei!"

"Defeat does not exist in this dojo, _does it_?!"

"No, sensei!"

Kreese looked over to me and smirked. "Combat!" he shouted. We all formed a rectangle around the mat. Dutch and Johnny grabbed the point flags and stood on opposite corners of the rectangle. Kreese still maintained his gaze on me, and his smirk turned into a grin. "Brown, Gray!" Kreese called out.

The boy with the windswept hair shot up. I got up just as quickly. Oh, great. He was a black belt. I was in for another ass-whooping.

_Fear does not exist in this dojo._

Yeah, right. I was _terrified_ of the guy. I was _terrified_ of everyone here. Okay, maybe not the green belts or the blue belts, but Johnny and his gang? They're like a nightmare.

The boy and I went to the middle of the mat on the opposing black lines. We bowed to Kreese, and then bowed to each other.

"Fight!" Kreese exclaimed.

He got into his stance. I was a little hesitant at first, but I knew that I either fought or got a beating from Kreese, so I decided that this was better.

The boy glanced at Kreese, then at Johnny, then at me. He seemed rather unsure of himself at first, which was surprising because he didn't seem unsure of himself yesterday when he laughed at the fact that Johnny beat me in our match. However, his uncertainty faded away from his face in a split-second.

He moved in quickly and attempted to hit me with a front kick. I dodged it and nearly stumbled backwards. Some of the guys snickered, and I felt my cheeks turn red, both in anger and in embarrassment. The boy did not laugh, though. He inhaled and then did another front kick. I barely dodged this one.

The truth was that I didn't want to hit him. I mean, he was clearly going easy on me. Johnny wouldn't even have given it a second thought. He would have pulverized me; torn me to bits. But this guy… this guy didn't.

But I knew that if he didn't hit me, Kreese would punish him. He knew it too. So with one swift kick, he knocked my legs from under me, making me fall on my back.

The air got knocked out of my lungs. My eyes widened because of the shock. It felt as if my whole body was numbing itself. The boy tried to strike, but I rolled out of his way and kipped back up.

_Pain does not exist in this dojo_.

As if. My whole abdomen felt as if it was on fire. My lungs were burning and my back was stinging. With every heartbeat, a new wave of pain rushed in.

But pain did not exist in this dojo. I was a Cobra Kai now, so I might as well change my mindset to think like one. There was no room for any weakness of any kind.

Slowly, I backed up onto my line and exhaled softly. I straightened my back, despite the fact that the stinging continued. The boy's eyes flickered over to his friends. He didn't seem too hesitant anymore. And I wasn't hesitant either.

This time, I was the quickest one. Before he could block or get out of the way, I spun into a roundhouse kick that hit him in the chest. He fell to the ground and I heard a small whimper escape his lips. I dropped beside him with my arm pulled back; my whole body ready to strike the final blow that would win the match.

But I couldn't. I just couldn't. His eyes were screaming for me to stop – screaming for mercy. Even though he wouldn't say anything, his eyes gave him away. They were pleading with me, beseeching me not to do it.

"Finish him!" Kreese yelled.

I took in a shaky breath.

_Defeat does not exist in this dojo._

So I hit him. It was a blow to the chest, hard enough to knock away his breath. Another soft whimper left his mouth.

And even though I had vanquished my fear, got over my pain, and threw defeat into a brick wall, deep down, I had in fact succumbed to their will.


	4. Chapter 4 - Mercy

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

After four long hours of karate, everyone walked to the change rooms and began getting changed. Well, everyone except for me. There were two reasons for that.

One, the change room was filled with guys. Guys with hormones. Guys who most likely think with their dicks. So, I knew that I had to wait until they were all gone to get out of my karate-gi.

Two, Kreese instructed me to stay behind after everyone else had left. I don't know why the hell he wanted me to stay behind; I've been a good student and followed his orders exactly. But I was grateful because, well, reason number one still stood. There was no way I was going in there until they all left.

"You said you wanted to see me, sensei?" I said, clasping my hands behind my back.

Kreese circled me once and then stopped to give me one of his glares. "We do not train to be merciful here," he told me. "I shouldn't see any hesitation during your matches. When you step onto that line, the person opposing you becomes your enemy. And an enemy deserves no mercy. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Go get changed," Kreese ordered. I bowed and then walked inside the change rooms. So much for not wanting to get changed in a room full of guys.

As soon as I got inside, all the guys stopped to stare at me, including the five good-for-nothing idiots. I paid no attention to them. Instead, I got my clothes out of my sports bag and then took off the top of my karate-gi. I could tell some of the guys were disappointed because I was wearing a camisole underneath.

While I got dressed, I couldn't help but think about what Kreese said. _An enemy deserves no mercy. _Why can't they deserve mercy? I mean, mercy is one of the things that separate us from animals. It's one of the things that come with our conscience. To not be merciful is to be heartless. And heartless people have no feelings for anyone else. They don't care about anyone else but themselves. And that's certainly not me.

Is it?

No, it isn't. I'm better than that. I'm much, _much_ better than that. Everyone deserves mercy.

_Even Johnny Lawrence? _a voice whispered in the back of my head.

Even Johnny Lawrence.

_But he laughed at you when you got hurt. He smirked at you when you were in pain. He didn't give _you_ any mercy. Why should you allow him this privilege?_

Because I'm _not_ like Johnny Lawrence.

_Yes you are. You _want_ to see him in pain. You know you do. You _want_ to laugh at his defeat. You _know_ you do._

I wasn't about to argue that, because it was true. I did want to get my revenge on him. I did want to be able to sneer and laugh in his face after _I_ whooped _his_ ass.

_No mercy_, the voice reminded me. _Johnny Lawrence is your enemy, and an enemy deserves no mercy_.

I looked around and saw that the only guys left in the change room were Johnny and his little gang. They were talking amongst each other, eyeing my carefully. One of the guys had a toothy grin plastered on his face. He snickered and whispered something to the others, making them laugh too. I gritted my teeth and then threw on my shirt. Wanting to take up more time in order for them to leave before me, I went to the small mirror beside the door and began examining the black eye I got yesterday. I heard them laugh again, and this time, they spoke louder, clearly intending me to hear them.

"Bobby, you should've just given it to her," the boy with the toothy grin said. I saw their reflection in the mirror, so I knew exactly who said what.

"Yeah, man," a boy with bleached blond hair who was a little shorter than Johnny said. "She's no match for you."

"Purple belt," the first guy scoffed. "Yeah, right. Purple belt, my ass."

I breathed in slowly, trying to calm my nerves. Honestly, I was about to slap them. I was seriously about to go up to them and slap them.

"Hey, Gray!" the bleached blonde called out. I ignored him. "Show us that dodging technique of yours again!"

"Man, I can do that easily," the first guy said. He stumbled backwards exaggeratedly and then got back into a stance. They laughed, I gritted my teeth even more.

"What's the matter, Gray?" the bleached blonde asked, mockingly.

"Let's go, guys," the other told them. "I think she's about to cry."

The two assholes and another guy with brown hair howled with laughter. All five of them grabbed their bags and started to leave. They pushed past me, chuckling. The only guy who didn't jostle me was the guy with the windswept hair – apparently his name was Bobby. Anyways, Bobby didn't laugh or smirk or sneer or grin. He just glanced up once at me and then followed the other four.

Once I was alone in the change room, I exhaled shakily and then clenched my fists. I drew my arm back and punched the wall next to me as hard as I could. I didn't bother to acknowledge the pain. I only acknowledged the anger that came with it.

I will make them pay. All of them, one-by-one.

_No mercy,_ the voice kept chanting.

No. No mercy at all.


	5. Chapter 5 - Susan and Barbara

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

After getting changed, I left the dojo and jumped in my car. I quickly turned the key in the ignition and drove away. I knew exactly where I wanted to go. _Golf 'N Stuff._

I just wanted to get my mind off those five idiots – well, four because Bobby seemed a little more… human than the rest. The other four were a bunch of apes that thought they were better than anyone else. Anyways, I wanted to forget about them. Maybe Freddy and his friends were there. Maybe we could hang out or something.

I pulled into the parking lot of _Golf 'N Stuff_ after about thirty minutes of driving. There was something oddly comforting about this place, even though I wasn't a huge fan of amusement parks. It's not because they weren't fun; it's because there were always too many people there.

My first destination was the Arcade. It's where I went yesterday, so it's where I would go to today. Two girls who looked like they were my age were playing a game of skeet shooting. I smiled; I was slightly amused at the way they were holding the plastic shotguns.

"Don't bring your cheek down to the gun," I suggested. "Bring the gun up to your cheek."

They looked at me as I leaned against the metal railing in front of them. The brunette did as I told her, and immediately, she nicked one of the birds on the screen. A huge grin spread across her face.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem," I shrugged. I turned to leave.

"Hey, what's your name?" the brunette asked.

I looked back at her. "Quinn."

"I'm Susan," she replied. Then, she pointed to the taller blonde next to her. "This is Barbara."

"Pleased to meet you," I smiled. "Do you guys go to West Valley High by any chance?"

They nodded. "Yeah, we're seniors," Barbara answered.

"Cool, me too. I just moved here, so I'm gonna be the _new kid_."

Susan rolled her eyes. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It sort of is," I admitted. Susan handed me the plastic gun and I mounted it on my shoulder. Before the time shown on the screen ran out, I shot fifty-seven birds, breaking the highest record of fifty-four.

"Hey, you're good at this!" Susan exclaimed.

I chuckled. "I had lots of practice back in Oregon."

"You're from Oregon?" Barbara piped in. "I have a cousin in Oregon. What city are you from?"

"Salem."

"Ah, that sucks. My cousin's from Medford."

Susan decided to change the subject. "So, what happened to your eye?"

I knew they were going to ask this question. It was only a matter of time before one of them brought it up. "I got in a fight."

"With who?"

"A guy."

"Why?" Barbara inquired. God, they were almost as inquisitive as a first-grader.

I set the gun down. "Because I was told to."

"By who?"

A smile tugged at my lips. "By my sensei."

They frowned. "Wait. Sensei? You mean you do karate?" Susan continued.

I nodded. "Yeah. I do karate. At the Cobra Kai dojo, actually." Their eyes widened. "And before you say anything, the guy I fought against was Johnny Lawrence." They opened their mouths to speak, but I cut them off. "Yes, yes, the Ace Degenerate of West Valley High. I know what you guys are thinking. Did he kick my ass? Yes, he did. But will I kick his back? Of course I will." Then, I smirked. "Besides, I already kicked Bobby Brown's ass. And he's a black belt."

"Bobby Brown?" Susan whispered. "He's one of Johnny's absolute best friends in the whole entire world. They've been friends since pre-school. You kicked _his_ ass?"

"Yeah."

Susan and Barbara whistled. "Johnny's out to get you now," Barbara chuckled. "You do _not_ mess around with any of his four best friends and get away with it. You should watch your back."

I straightened up. "Johnny Lawrence should be the one watching his back."

The two girls and I went through a couple of other games in the Arcade, and while we were playing, they kept on asking me questions about being a Cobra Kai. Apparently, the Cobra Kai _never_ took in a girl before. _Never. _I'm the only female Cobra Kai there ever was. And truth be told, I felt kind of proud. I mean, I must be pretty damn good, right?

_Yeah. Pretty damn good at getting beaten up._

I mentally rolled my eyes. Kreese said that I am an incessant little vermin, and I thought that was good in a battle because that meant that I'd never admit defeat. And defeat was not accepted in the Cobra Kai dojo. Obviously, he must think that I'm good enough to be a Cobra Kai. I don't care what Johnny and his gang thought; I deserved to be there.

We went to buy lunch after playing a couple more games. The two girls never stopped asking me questions. I honestly felt as if the police was interrogating me. Of course, the police before have never actually interrogated me before, but I've seen it happen in movies and this was very similar to it.

"So, you're actually a Cobra Kai," Susan concluded. "And you do karate."

"Yeah," I said.

Barbara sighed. "That's unbelievable."

"Why?" I asked as we sat down on a small bench. "I mean, it's not the coolest thing in the world."

"Are you kidding me? You get to train with hot guys!" Susan protested. "You get to see them shirtless when they change into their little white uniform thingies."

I gave her a look. "For your four-one-one, it's called a karate-gi."

"Whatever. The point is, you're one of the luckiest girls on this planet."

"You're over-exaggerating," I decided, looking away. "None of the guys think that I'm good enough, especially Johnny and his little crew."

Barbara patted my shoulder. "So you have to show them that you're better."

"Look, girl, Johnny and his friends are cocky, arrogant, and over-confident. In order to beat them, you have to think like them. Start acting the way they do," Susan said matter-of-factly.

"And why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"Because it'd be pretty entertaining to see Johnny get his butt kicked," she laughed.

"Especially if he gets his butt kicked by a girl," Barbara added.

I snorted. "Yeah, I know you guys would like_ that_."

"Damn straight."

After a few more hours of having fun at _Golf 'N Stuff_, the three of us walked towards the parking lot.

"So, where do you live?" Susan asked.

"Encino," I replied. "White Oak Place, to be exact."

"No kidding!" Barbara exclaimed. "We live on Alonzo Avenue."

"Isn't that near White Oak Place?" I asked, walking over to my car.

Susan nodded. "Yep. It is." She stopped walking and both her and Barbara's eyes widened. "Is that your car?"

"Yeah. Do you want a ride home?" I offered.

They grinned. "In that? Definitely!" Barbara squealed.

"I call shotgun!" Susan exclaimed as she rushed to the passenger side. I let out a small chuckle before getting in.

We listened to the radio and _Jessie's Girl_ by Rick Springfield started to play. Automatically, we began to sing along. For some strange reason, I was enjoying myself. It felt like I've known these two girls all my life, which was creepy because I never seemed to get along with girls back in Oregon. My best friends were always guys. Ever since I was little, I hung around with the guys in our neighborhood. Living in the not-so-rich part of town and not having enough money to occupy myself with girly pastimes, I learned to build cars, fix engines, and basically just do what most guys did.

I dropped the two girls off at Susan's house; they were going to go through her wardrobe and figure out what clothes she'd wear on the first week of school. They invited me to come along too, but I politely declined – fashion wasn't my thing.

"Hey, we're having a beach party the day after tomorrow," Susan said. "Do you wanna come?"

"Beach party? I don't know."

"It's just gonna be us and two other girls," she continued. "Please?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun!" Barbara insisted.

I clicked my tongue and then grinned. "Sure. A beach party. Sounds cool. I'll be there."

"Great! Come over to my house at around nine, okay?" Susan told me.

I nodded and then waved good-bye. Lovely. I was going to a beach party.


	6. Chapter 6 - Confessions

**JOHNNY LAWRENCE'S POV:**

Bobby flipped through the TV channels, holding a can of beer in his right hand. I ran my tongue over the back of my teeth and then crossed my arms over my chest. Usually, we weren't so quiet, but today, all five of us seemed out of it. I don't know why, but the mood was different. On Friday nights, we usually got together at one of our houses and chilled. We would joke around, get drunk, smoke a few joints, and basically just have fun. Today, however, it all seemed so different.

"So," Dutch sighed.

"So," Tommy repeated in the same, undecided voice.

I breathed in. "Would someone say something? I hate uneasy silences."

"Oh, look. Hondo's on," Bobby said. We all groaned. "Okay then. I guess we're not watching John Wayne."

"I'd rather commit suicide than watch one of his movies," Dutch declared.

"What do you guys have against John Wayne?" Jimmy asked.

"Oh, come on," Tommy said. "It's not like _you_ want to watch one of his movies. And don't tell me you do because I know you'd be lying."

Jimmy chuckled. "You're right. I would be."

"Can we stop talking about John Wayne?" I asked.

Dutch pursed his lips. "What _do_ you wanna talk about?"

_Quinn Gray_, my inner-self said. I felt like strangling myself because I knew it was true. I _did_ want to talk about her. After asking Kreese for her name, I began to find it kinda… melodic. It rolled off my tongue nicely. And yes, I had whispered it to myself a few times.

Bobby glanced at me. "You alright, Johnny? You look sorta pale."

"I'm fine," I huffed.

Tommy smirked and took a sip of beer. "That's what you said this morning," he reminded me, "and it turns out you were thinking about that girl. What was her name again?"

"Quinn Gray," I replied a little too quickly.

Dutch and Tommy snickered, while Bobby and Jimmy just smirked. "Oh, yeah, you _definitely_ weren't thinking about her now," Tommy teased.

"Shut the fuck up," I growled. Even though I knew that I shouldn't have been so angry.

"Someone's getting touchy," Dutch pointed out. "You… you don't happen to… _like_ her, do you?" He made it sound so outrageous and stupid that I felt like smacking him.

"'Course not. Why would I?" I shrugged. They all gave me looks, and I knew that I couldn't keep lying to them. "Fine, maybe a little." Bobby raised an eyebrow. "Okay, okay! So maybe I like her a lot. What are you gonna do about it?"

"Nothing because we're your friends and friends don't judge," Dutch said, trying to keep a straight face on. Then, he burst out laughing with Tommy and Jimmy joining in. Only Bobby didn't laugh. He just shook his head with a small smile on his lips. I rolled my eyes and then fixed my gaze on the TV.

"You're supposed to be supportive," I snapped.

Dutch tried to compose himself. "We are. Don't think that we're not. You know we are. It's just that… _her_?! What could you ever see in her?"

"I don't know," I said. "I don't know what, but I do know that she's always on my mind."

"God, you must be pretty serious about her," Bobby said. "You never let girls cloud your mind."

"Yeah, I know. You usually just screw 'em and get it over with," Tommy agreed.

I leaned my head back against the couch. "Not this time."

Bobby shrugged. "Hey, man, it's cool with me. Whatever floats your boat."

Dutch finally stopped laughing. "Same here."

Tommy and Jimmy both nodded in agreement.

"But, I just don't know if this will work out. I mean, she hates my guts for beating her up yesterday."

Tommy snickered. "You have to admit, though. That was pretty funny."

I shot him a cold glare. "No, it _wasn't_. She was hurt. It wasn't funny at all."

Dutch whistled. "Damn, Johnny. You must really have a thing for her 'cause you never gave a shit when people got hurt before."

I placed the can of beer down on Bobby's coffee table and then ran both hands through my hair. "I know, Dutch, I know." I paused. "But she probably doesn't like me back."

"No, she probably doesn't," Jimmy agreed. I turned my glare towards him. He raised his hands up, shrugging. "I'm just saying."

"_Anyways_," I hissed, "I can't just go on acting all nice to her."

"You're right, man," Bobby said. "Johnny Lawrence doesn't do 'nice'."

"Exactly."

Dutch scratched the back of his neck. "Man, why don't you just flirt with her? Give her a few signs, you know?"

"How about you just apologize for kicking her ass first?" Jimmy suggested. "Maybe that will sort of ease up the tension between you two."

I shook my head. "You know me better than that, Jimmy. You know I don't apologize to anyone."

"Look, if you wanna actually have a shot with her, maybe you _should_ apologize," he insisted.

"Chicks dig bad boys," Dutch said. "They don't dig mushy guys who say 'sorry'."

"Actually, chicks want bad boys who only act nice towards them," Bobby piped in. I turned to look at him. "Take Jimmy's advice, Johnny. Go apologize to her."

It did make sense. Apologizing did seem like a good first step towards getting Quinn to like me.

"Just forget about it, guys," I sighed. "I'll worry about it tomorrow." Then, I gave them a brittle smile. "Roll up a joint, would you Dutch?"


	7. Chapter 7 - Impressing Johnny

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

The next morning, I arrived at the Cobra Kai dojo thirty minutes earlier just because I wanted to get changed before all the guys arrived. I made sure to wear a pair of tight black shorts underneath my karate-gi so that when I'd change back, guys wouldn't have to see my underwear. It was bad enough that I had to change along with them; I didn't need the extra embarrassment.

After getting changed, I began stretching all by myself on the white mat. First, I went through some basic warm-up stretches. Then, I moved on to the splits. My chest was still hurting from when Johnny beat me up two days ago, but pain was not accepted in this dojo. I had to deal with it like a Cobra Kai.

Sensei Kreese had a smirk plastered on his face. "Gray," he called. I got up and then assumed a resting position.

"Yes, sensei?" I softly replied.

He grabbed two kicking pads from the bench in front of the entry foyer and then secured them around his arms. "Give me a jackknife," he instructed, holding the kicking pads up high. God, when was the last time I did a jackknife kick? I was pretty positive that I would embarrass myself.

Nonetheless, I swung my whole body around and kicked the two pads – the first with my right foot, and the second with my left heel. I landed in a back stance as gracefully as I could. Kreese grinned.

"You're full of surprises, ain't ya, you little vermin?" he asked, chuckling. "Do that again. But this time, maintain eye contact."

I nodded and then looked straight into Kreese's eyes. Something about the way the lighting in the room seemed to bounce off his light blue irises made him seem a little more harmless than yesterday. I knew that he could snap my neck like a twig if I ever did anything to piss him off, but today, he almost looked… friendly.

Again, I swung my legs again, and the only time that I ever took my eyes off of his were when I was turning around. Even then, I always had a good idea of where he was standing and what he was doing.

"Better," he said. "Do it again."

Truth be told, I was a little dizzy from all the spinning. As spectacular as the jackknife kick might look, it was tiresome and nearly pointless in a real fight. Plus, getting dizzy while in combat was never good. If you were to do the jackknife kick at all, you had to make sure that your opponent would have no possible way of dodging it or blocking it. In a combat, doing these high kicks was good when you've already hit your opponent and rendered him unstable. Delivering the jackknife would be last thing you'd need to do. It would be the final blow. Of course, there was also the option of doing the jackknife when your opponent isn't expecting it. If you managed to be unpredictable in a fight and then jackknifed someone across the face, you'd best believe that they wouldn't be attempting to hit you anytime soon. But otherwise, this was mostly used for show – to impress people.

But because Kreese told me to do it, I repeated the kick again and again, I felt like my head was going to explode because I couldn't see straight and I could barely stand on my two feet without wobbling. I tried to keep my eyes fixed on Kreese, but at one point I saw two of him, and I wasn't sure which one I was supposed to look at.

I wanted to stop. I needed to stop. My body was giving signs of fatigue already. It required a great deal of concentration and effort to maintain eye contact with Kreese while doing the jackknife and I think he knew it well and that's why he had me keep going. If you just swung your legs in the air like a paper bag in a tornado, it was easy to miss what your opponent was doing. It was likely that Kreese wanted me to understand that.

So, I never took my eyes off of him. Instead, I kept my eyes locked with his even when I spun around, and gave him the hardest kick yet. Kreese slid backwards about an inch. He remained silent for a few seconds and his eyes narrowed themselves in a half-glare. I honestly thought that he was going to lift his arm up and smack my cheek. I was honestly getting ready to feel the stinging burn of his hand, but he did something that surprised me. He laughed.

"Would you look at that?" Kreese said, clearly amused. "You're better than I thought." I let out a nervous chuckle and assumed my resting position. "Maybe you're not going to be difficult to work with. Isn't that right, Mr. Lawrence?"

Mr. Lawrence? As in, _Johnny_ Lawrence? When the hell did he get here? I must have been too caught up in the jackknife kicks to notice. My head snapped towards the door, and my whole body went rigid. Johnny and his four friends were standing there, each with different looks on their faces. The bleached blonde and the guy that had a toothy grin on yesterday had their mouths slightly parted and their eyebrows raised. The boy with the windswept hair was trying hard not to smile and the quiet boy in the back with the brown hair had pursed lips.

And Johnny… well, Johnny looked as if he wasn't breathing. He was motionless like me but his eyes stared right into mine. I don't know how long we stayed like this – probably just a few seconds but they seemed like an eternity – when suddenly, Johnny glanced up at Kreese and nodded, dropping his gaze. "Yes, sensei," he replied.

Kreese turned to the boys. "Go get changed," he instructed.

They did as they were told. I slowly walked towards the nearest wall and leaned back against it, trying to catch my breath. More boys piled in and they all went to get changed. I kept peering at the change room doors, heart beating faster every time it opened. I guess I was expecting to see Johnny come out of there with a sneer on his face. I guess I was expecting him to laugh at me and tell me that my kicks were so choppy and amateurish. I was just waiting for to label me as a dilettante and then have his friends join in with the teasing and mocking.

But when he did come out of the change room, Johnny didn't say anything. He didn't even look at me. His friends were back to normal; they were acting like their rowdy selves. Especially the toothy grinned guy and the bleached blonde. They seemed like the most immature ones. Of course, they were probably all immature, so they really weren't all that different.

I noticed that the boy with the windswept hair – Bobby Brown – told Johnny something that made him glance back at me. His eyes met mine and instinctively, I narrowed them in a cold glare. Johnny hesitantly looked back at his friend. The bleached blonde said something while grinning and Johnny rolled his eyes and hit his shoulder playfully. Bobby smiled, looked at me and then at Johnny. He continued to speak and Johnny listened to him. Then, the quiet guy with the brown hair spoke up and said something else to Johnny. Bobby nodded. The bleached blonde cackled and the toothy grinner howled with laughter as well. Johnny and Bobby both shot them annoyed looks while the quieter boy – who was also the only brown belt in the group – looked slightly amused.

They were most definitely laughing at me.

_At you? And why would they do that? Didn't you just do a jackknife kick that clearly impressed Kreese?_

Exactly. It impressed _Kreese_. Not Johnny and his buddies. Clearly, they weren't fazed. They probably still doubted me. They thought of me as their inferior.

I pushed all those thoughts out of my head. They could wait until after the karate lesson.

The first thing we did after everyone finished stretching was matching. I took my place along the black lines of the large rectangle and then began to observe the fights.

The bleached blonde was up first. He had to fight against another black belt. Apparently, the bleached blonde was named Dutch, although I had a feeling that this was only a nickname. Toothy-grinner was cheering him on, and Dutch got a huge smirk on his face.

The round hadn't even started properly and Dutch knocked the other black belt to the ground. The black belt moaned a little and tried to get up, but Dutch didn't think twice; he hit the back of his neck and made him fall to the ground again. Kreese gave him an approving look. Dutch strutted back to his spot and sat down.

The quiet brown haired guy was second. This guy's name was Jimmy. I thought it suited him perfectly. Anyways, Kreese didn't care about the fact that he was a brown belt. He paired Jimmy up with another black belt.

Jimmy was more of a dodger, so to speak. He was quick and because he was a little smaller than most guys here, he slipped past the black belt's attempted hits and blows. And when the black belt let his guard down for a quick second, Jimmy sprang in and side kicked him in the chest. The black belt fell down, and Jimmy delivered the final strike. That also earned him a look of approval from Kreese.

Bobby Brown was third. He also got paired up with another black belt who was slightly bigger than him; he had muscles that were definitely larger than Bobby's. God, I was sure this black belt would probably beat the crap out of Bobby. However, when Kreese called out "Fight!" and the match began, I was in for a surprise.

Bobby threw a couple of punches, which were easily blocked by his opponent. But then he did an inside crescent kick which nailed the black belt on the right side of his head, throwing him hard against the mat. As the black belt got up, Bobby snap kicked him in the jaw. The match was over.

I realized that Bobby had held back on me yesterday. This wasn't the same hesitant Bobby that I had to fight against. This was a different merciless Bobby. This Bobby could destroy me on the mat.

Toothy-grinner was next. His name was Tommy, and again, I thought it fit him well. Don't know why, don't know how, but it just did. This guy got paired up with a brown belt, and that's when he started to get a little cocky. During the entire match, Tommy was basically teasing the brown belt. He was easily dodging his moves and was landing blows on him whenever the brown belt wasn't focused enough. It was almost like a little game of tag, only they were both 'it'. And Tommy was winning.

Eventually, Tommy got bored with his little games and punched his opponent hard, hitting his jaw. The brown belt fell to his knees and Tommy struck him again with a roundhouse kick to the head.

I shrunk back in my spot. These guys would murder me in a fight. I'd have my blood splattered all over the floor by the time they were done kicking my ass. The jackknife kick? That was nothing compared to this. It might look good, but like I said, it's only for show. It's not really used in a fight unless your opponent doesn't see it coming at _all_ or is already pretty unstable after being hit a few times. And besides, the jackknife kick is a slower kick than the rest. Unless I hit my opponent in the head with the jackknife kick, it won't do much damage. They'd have a lot of time to dodge it or worse, counter it.

_But maybe if you practiced hard enough…_

No, no, no. The jackknife kick wasn't good enough.

_You said it was slow, so speed it up! Kreese was trying to teach you to not waste time when landing after performing the kick, right?_

And if I _do_ speed it up? What then? What about strength?

_Speed and strength will come hand-in-hand with this one._

I scoffed to myself. I wanted to believe that this little stunt could make me win in fights. And I guess it could if my opponent was blind or something. Let's face it; by the time I jumped and swung my legs in the air, whomever I was fighting against would take me down.

_So let it be your final move._

That did seem rather enticing. This could be my destructive last blow. This is how I could knock people out. I'd get them a little woozy and unsteady and then smack them with this blow.

Even if this may not always work in a fight against a person who knew how to do karate or any type of martial arts, this kick would certainly work against someone who didn't know how to counter the move or who wasn't expecting it at all.

But there was another reason why I wanted to keep practicing this move.

I was hoping it could impress Johnny Lawrence.


	8. Chapter 8 - Anger

**JOHNNY LAWRENCE'S POV:**

Four hours of karate just wasn't enough.

It wasn't because I wanted to keep on fighting and practicing and learning new moves. That was cool too, don't get me wrong, but the reason why I never wanted this lesson to end was Quinn Gray.

Something about the way she landed after doing a jump-kick was mesmerizing. Something in the way she swung her arms when blocking was breathtaking. Something in the way her lips were shaped whenever she tried to catch her breath was so surreal. It was almost as if I had died and gone to heaven but without, you know, the dying part.

Bobby and Dutch snapped me out of my trances a couple of times. God, I was going out of my mind. Johnny Lawrence doesn't let girls distract him, especially not during karate class. _But she is so beautiful…_ Get back on track, dammit!

Eventually, the four hours ended. I slowly walked inside the change room and grabbed a towel out of my bag. I untied my belt and took off my white jacket. Little beads of sweat were trickling down my chest, and I wiped them away. Suddenly, Tommy elbowed me.

"She's watching you, man," he whispered.

I looked back at her but she took in a deep breath and quickly shifted her eyes away from me. Quinn took off her jacket as well, leaving her in a white camisole. She slipped on her shirt and ran a hand through her light caramel blond hair. Her hazel eyes darted in my direction, but she saw that I was looking, so she glanced in another direction.

"Apologize," Bobby reminded me. "Go." He shoved me towards her. I noticed that most guys had already left by now and the change room was getting awfully empty. Perfect. I didn't need anyone to eavesdrop.

I walked up to Quinn. She swiftly turned around and our eyes locked together. However, hers narrowed themselves into an icy half-glare.

"What do you want?" she asked, almost irritated by my presence.

A smirk spread across my face. I shrugged. "Nothing," I replied. "Listen, about what happened two days ago-"

"Yeah, we need a rematch," Quinn concluded, folding her jacket up and stuffing it in her bag.

I frowned. "What?"

"Don't think I'm done with you yet, Lawrence," she warned. "This isn't over. Nobody won that round."

"What are you trying to prove?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

"That I'm better than you," Quinn answered, taking off her white pants, leaving her in a pair of tight black shorts.

I scoffed. "Better than me? You wish."

"I _am_ better than you, and you know it. I was just going easy on you. Didn't want to get Kreese mad at me for sending one of his students into a coma, you know?"

This angered me a little. "If anyone was going easy on anybody, it was me," I shot back.

She put on a pair of whitewashed jeans. "As if. Your kicks couldn't even keep me down, Johnny."

I rolled my eyes. "What, you think yours are any better?"

"I _know_ mine are better."

I gritted my teeth. "Gray, please. Your jackknife kicks and your karate are shit." My whole body went rigid. Immediately, I regretted what I said. The boys' eyes went wide and so did Quinn's. Oh, God, no. Fuck. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it at all.

"They're shit, huh?" Quinn whispered, breathing in raggedly.

"I-I-"

"You know, I _never_ said that you weren't good," she continued, voice cracking a little. "I _never_ told you that your karate was bad." Quinn shook her head once, grabbed her karate bag, and left. I stood there like an idiot, debating whether I should call after her, but in the time that it took me to realize what just happened, Quinn was probably out of the dojo.

"What the hell, man?!" Bobby shouted exasperatedly. "Why would you tell her that her karate is shit?"

"Smooth, Johnny," Dutch said.

I gave them both cold looks. "I didn't mean it, okay? I just got angry."

"Yeah, _clearly_," Bobby scoffed.

He pissed me off even more. "Hey, get off my case, alright?" I snapped. "_She_ was being difficult. It's not like I started this. All I wanted to do was apologize like you told me to."

"Then you should've fricking apologized instead of egging her on!" he retorted.

I ran both hands through my hair and then sat down on the bench. "You think I don't feel bad about this?"

"I don't know, do you?" Tommy asked.

"I _do_," I hissed. "I _do_ feel bad."

"Then if you feel bad, fix it," Bobby told me.

"How?"

"I don't know how. But if you feel bad enough, you'll figure it out." Helpful bastard.

I cursed under my breath. How was I going to get her to even talk to me again after this?

* * *

**So, I hoped you guys liked this chapter. Please review, because it would mean a lot to me and because I want to know what you guys think. Feedback is important, you know. Just tell me what you think should happen next. And tell me which Cobra Kai you guys would want to see more of in this story other than Johnny. And do not worry or fret; Daniel is going to be in the next chapter. I just sort of waited before including him so that I could give Quinn a little bit of history with Johnny. 'Cause you know how in the Karate Kid, Johnny comes down to the beach to talk to Ali, right? Well, in this story he's coming down to the beach to talk to Quinn and then Daniel butts in and... stuff happens. :D But, yeah, please review. Like I said, it would mean a lot to me.**


	9. Chapter 9 - Beach Party (Part 1)

**The beach party scene is going to be split up in two parts. In the first part, Quinn gets to the beach and sees Daniel. In the second part, Johnny starts up shit and Daniel butts in like an idiot - though I found that scene in the film to be really hot - and Quinn gets SUPER angry. I also felt like Quinn and Dean should fix their relationship with one another or at least try to improve it. The fact that her brother is rich will be explained in later chapters. I will also explain the history behind why Dean left and sort of make Quinn look up to Kreese as a father - the way Johnny does.**

**Read and enjoy :)**

* * *

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

I tangled myself in my bed sheets, trying to forget Johnny's cold voice.

_Your jackknife kicks and your karate are shit._

So much for impressing him. I could've sworn that he was at least a little bit shocked this morning when Kreese made me do all those jackknife kicks. I could've sworn that I saw something in his eyes; something like a little glint of admiration. Damn, even envy would've been enough.

But no. My jackknife kicks and karate are _shit._

I just wanted to punch him in the face.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up on the floor with my pillow flung across the room. I slowly sat up while rubbing my eyes and then looked at my alarm clock. It was seven twenty-eight. I chuckled to myself. It was supposed to ring in two minutes. I reached up and then disabled it before getting up to take a shower.

The beach party was today. I was honestly excited as hell. I couldn't even wait. But I forced myself to remain calm as I scrubbed every single part of my body and washed my hair with some pineapple-scented shampoo that my brother had bought me. It smelled sickeningly tropical, but I didn't really care at that point. It would do the job.

After drying myself off and combing my hair, I slipped on a lime yellow one-piece swimsuit. I didn't want to reveal the ugly bruise that still decorated my chest. It was fading but it was still there and it would definitely be a turn-off for any guys that might be at the beach.

I threw on a simple gray jersey with the number "44" written on the back in white letters, and a pair of boyfriend jeans. Then I went downstairs to grab some breakfast and do whatever I could to pass the time until I had to leave. I made myself some French toast and just as I was topping them off with jam, my brother came into the kitchen.

I ignored him.

"Good morning," he said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. I didn't look up at him. Dean just smiled. "Going deaf, huh? Well, that's okay." He took a sip of coffee and then sighed, leaning against the counter next to me. "You know, I have a proposition for you." I took a bite of my toast and then sat down at the kitchen table – all while ignoring him. Dean took a seat in front of me. "I was thinking-"

"That's a first," I interrupted, scoffing.

He rolled his eyes. "Anyways, I was thinking about how you're a senior now and how you're probably considering getting a job-"

"I wasn't. I don't want a job."

Dean let out another sigh. "Will you let me finish?" he asked. I didn't reply and he took it as a yes. "What I wanted to say was that you don't _need_ to get a job. Even if you weren't considering it." Then, he took out a white envelope from his back pocket and placed it in front of me before getting up with his coffee and going upstairs.

I waited until I heard his bedroom door shut. Slowly, I reached for the envelope and opened it. When I did, I gasped.

There must have been about three hundred dollars in that little envelope. Three hundred dollars. _Three hundred dollars_! All for me.

What the fuck was he trying to do? Was he trying to buy my love and affection? If he thought that forking over three hundred dollars was going to make me like him, he was dead wrong.

Where in the world did he get this much money? Was his job that high paying? I mean, obviously it must have been because he could afford this huge house in L. A. but was it paying him enough to give him the freedom of handing me three hundred dollars as if he was just giving me a bag of candy?

Just how rich was he?

To think that when he left thirteen years ago, Dean was broke as hell… God, California truly was the land of gold.

But I couldn't accept this. I couldn't accept this much money. I couldn't accept anything else from him. I was already living under his roof, driving his car, eating his food, going to karate lessons that he paid for… Although he does owe me a lot for ditching me when I was five…

Screw this, man. If he gave me three hundred dollars, I sure as hell wouldn't be stupid enough to not take the cash. Hate or no hate, money was money and I could certainly do with a couple more bucks.

So I took the envelope and stuffed it in my front pocket.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, I ran into Dean's garage to get inside my Charger – yes, _my_ Charger. I was about to open the door and climb in when something caught my eye. In the back of the garage, behind a couple of brown boxes, there was what seemed to have been a black guitar case. At least that's what it looked like from where I was standing. I moved in to get a closer look and indeed, I was right in my assumption.

Quick fact about me: I used to play the guitar when I was younger. God, I must have been about seven when my father let me strum the cords of his Gibson, and eight when he first signed me up for lessons. It's not like I had a natural talent or anything. It was more of a pastime, I guess. I was never as good as the other kids at school – the kids who would show off their guitar and vocal skills with every chance they got. In fact, I couldn't sing if my life depended on it. I sounded like a frog being choked, and I'm not kidding.

When I was ten, my father began to let me play on his electric guitar – I'd used a cheap acoustic piece of crap for practice – and I began to get better and better at it. Of course, I was still nothing compared to those musically gifted teens with whom I went to school with in Salem, but it was better than not being able to play at all. At least I could show off with something, right?

I grabbed the guitar case and opened the trunk of my Charger, stuffing it inside. I was sure that Dean wouldn't even notice it was missing. Besides, we needed to have some entertainment at the beach party. And maybe – just maybe – I could find a guy to impress.

Not wanting to waste more time, I got in the Charger and stepped on it.

* * *

At around eight forty-eight, I knocked on Susan's door. She opened up a few seconds later and gave me the brightest grin I've ever seen in my life.

"You came!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly. Boy, she was as giddy as a little kid.

"Of course," I replied. "Didn't I tell you I would?"

"Yeah, but-"

I let out a small laugh. "I don't go back on my word." My eyes darted behind her. "Are you gonna let me in or not?"

Susan nodded and stepped aside, letting me come in. "The other girls are in my bedroom," she said. Then, she led me up the large staircase into a room on the left side of the upper hallway. Barbara was standing next to Susan's bookshelf, reading the first page of some book she picked up, and two other girls were lounging on Susan's bed. One of them had light brown hair like Susan's that was cut short – but not in a tomboyish way – and the other had dirty blond hair pulled up on the sides that was a little darker than Barbara's. That's when I realized just how different my caramel hair was. In a way, my hair looked… edible. It looked like it was really made out of liquid caramel that reached just past my shoulders. Definitely not a Californian look. Girls here either had very light brown hair or blonde hair that only ranged from dirty blonde to a golden blonde – which, if you asked me, wasn't really very different. Mine was just simply not the L. A. norm.

"This is Lydia," Susan said, pointing to the girl with the dirty blond hair, "and this is Rachel." She pointed to the girl with the short hair.

"Cool. I'm Quinn."

"Susan and Barbara told us you train with the Cobra Kai," Rachel began, almost as excited as Susan. "Is it true?"

I was slightly taken aback by her disbelief. Did she not trust her friends to tell her the truth?

"Uh, yeah," I answered, arching my right eyebrow. "Yeah, it's true."

Her mouth formed an 'O' in surprise. "No way!" she shrieked. "You're kidding!"

"I'm pretty sure I'm not joking," I said.

"That means you get to train with hot guys!" Lydia chimed in.

I scoffed, leaning against the doorway. "More like cocky bastards. Yeah, I've met Johnny Lawrence, so don't even bother asking me if I made any contact with him whatsoever." He also called your karate shit. _Shut up_, I thought to myself. "But if you ask me, what those guys really need to learn is how to respect their superiors."

"You saying you're better than them?" Rachel asked.

"Apparently, Johnny Lawrence is the best student at the dojo. If _he_ couldn't keep me down, I don't think that there's much doubt left that I _am_ better than them." I shrugged. "It doesn't matter anyways. I'm the only girl there, so that automatically makes me the best female student they've got. Didn't we have a party to go to, by the way?"

I have to admit, I didn't really want to keep talking about the Cobra Kai. It was Sunday and I didn't want to have to think about the fact that I would have to face them at school tomorrow.

We all piled up in my car because none of the girls had cars of their own. I found that rather stupid because they were all from the 'hills' and their parents must have made an insane amount of money to be able to afford this opulent lifestyle. Why they couldn't buy them a car – even if it was a second-hand shit car – was beyond me.

Eventually, we made it to the beach. I parked the car in the parking lot and then we grabbed our beach things and made our way down below to the actual beach. We chose a spot that was pretty close to the water. There weren't many people there because the temperature wasn't all that high, but I found it to be better that way. The girls began to remove all of the layers of clothing that covered their bathing suits. I did the same, exposing toned legs and arms. The girls stared at me for a little while, but then I gave them a confused look, making them glance away. Honestly, getting toned arms and legs was because I'd done karate before and because I spent a lot of time in the out-of-doors, playing soccer and running laps around the block. It wasn't that much of a big deal.

"Is that a guitar?" Lydia asked, motioning towards the guitar case with her head.

"No, it's a hippo," I replied. "I stole it from the zoo and stuffed it in there. We love to bake pies when we're alone. I thought I'd bring him out to the beach, you know, so he can get some fresh air." She looked at me like I was dumb. "Yes, it's a guitar! God, I was only joking."

"Oh" was all that she said.

Rachel took out a small radio from her beach bag and then turned it on, tuning it to some random station. _Heartbreaker_ by Pat Benatar began to play, and I began tapping my fingers in rhythm to it on my legs.

"So, Quinn," Rachel started. "Did you have any boyfriends back in…"

"Oregon?"

"Yeah."

I cracked a smile. "'Course I did."

"How many?"

I bit my bottom lip. "Three."

"Just three?"

I frowned. "Was I supposed to have more?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. You just struck me as the type of girl that a lot of guys would be attracted to."

I chuckled. "Thanks, but I'm really not. I stand no chance against the girls here in L. A."

"You're _not_ like the girls in L. A.," Barbara said. "That's why guys would be attracted; you're different."

I rolled my eyes, not wanting to believe them. My relationships had actually only been with three of my best guy friends, and they asked me out in my junior year because no girls would agree to date them. It's not like they weren't attractive. They were just too inappropriate and blunt. Girls didn't really look for that in a guy.

Suddenly, some guys came running towards where we were sitting. They were chasing a soccer ball. Among them were Freddy, Kevin, Ted, and David. There were two other guys that I couldn't recognize, but one of them stood out with his wavy black hair and olive skin. He looked so very different from the rest, and my brain immediately screamed, "New Kid!" Yeah, he was definitely not from around here. Maybe he just moved to California like me.

"Hey, Quinn!" Freddy called out as he rushed past us with the other boys. However, the guy with the black hair and olive skin stopped running and just stood in front of us for a few seconds. He was staring at me with a small smile on his face. I couldn't look away from him either, and I noticed just how warm his brown eyes were. My cheeks felt a little hot and I knew I was blushing but I didn't look away. Instead, I winked at him, and his smile turned into a little grin.

Then, Freddy kicked the ball and it landed on our beach towel. I picked up the ball and stood up. The other girls ran to the water. Ted and Kevin wolf-whistled, but we all ignored them.

"Could you pass the ball, please?" Freddy said.

I dropped it on my knee and kept bouncing it from one leg to another a few times. I was pretty good at keep-ups, but then I passed it to the boy with the black hair and he began to keep up the ball as well. And may I add that he was better than me?

"Pretty good," Kevin said.

"Show-off," Ted muttered.

The ball accidentally hit Freddy in the face, but it was really light so it didn't hurt him. They ran off with it except for the guy with black hair.

"Sorry," he told me. I just gave him a smile and began to walk over to the girls. The boy turned to the other guys. "Hey, wait up!" He asked the guys something, and I saw Freddy scoff a little.

"You like him," Susan sang when I joined the rest of the girls.

"So what if I do?" I asked, laughing.

"He's not from the hills," Barbara said.

"I don't care. It doesn't matter to me."

Lydia and Rachel giggled, Susan grinned, and Barbara rolled her eyes.

Yeah, I did have a crush on the guy with black hair.

* * *

**BTW, Bobby will also have a huge part in this story, simply because he is an awesome character and I love him to death.**

**Also, please review and tell me which Cobra Kai you'd like to see more of. In my opinion, I think Jimmy should've been featured more in the movie because he is a cutie. But if you guys don't feel like having him in this story all that much, just tell me.**

**So, yeah. Just review and tell me what you think.**

**Thanks for reading, guys!**


	10. Chapter 10 - Beach Party (Part 2)

**Okay, so I lied. I'm so sorry. I was going to include the fight in this chapter, but the fight was going to be such a long scene so I decided not to put it in this part. I swear that there will only be one more part of the beach party after this. Three parts in total. I promise.**

**Also, shout-out to LumosMoonstone for an awesome long review. Seriously, when I logged on this afternoon and read it, it warmed me up inside and made my day. Thank you so so so much! 3**

**So, I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't hate me all too much for not wrapping up the beach party in this part. Sorry!**

* * *

**DANIEL LARUSSO'S POV:**

I kept glancing at her. I kept glancing at that caramel-haired, hazel-eyed beauty. Freddy said she was from the 'hills' although I didn't really know if that was supposed to keep me away from her or something. I know for a fact that it wouldn't.

Her fingers were gently strumming the strings of a guitar, and then she looked up at one of her friends and smiled. Her friend must have said something funny 'cause she burst out laughing. And her laughter was the sweetest most melodic thing I've ever heard. Like little wind chimes, only much more heavenlier.

It was dark out. The sun had set not too long ago, and the guys and I were all roasting hot dogs over a little campfire we made. I was so busy trying to get my hot dog to roast evenly when Freddy tapped my shoulder.

"Daniel, hey, Daniel," he said.

"What?" I asked, not really paying attention.

"I think the blonde is looking at you."

"What?" I repeated.

"The one with the caramel hair," Freddy continued.

I glanced up at the girl but she was still strumming her guitar. The girls also began to roast some marshmallows over their campfire. "Yeah, right." I began to get up.

"I'm serious. I think she has the hots for you," Freddy said. He held the soccer ball in his right hand, sort of motioning towards the girl with it at the same time.

My eyes were glued on her. "Who could blame her, right, Freddy?" She looked up from her guitar and her lips curled back into a shy smile. Her friends were all staring back at me as if I'd committed a sin or something, but she didn't care. Her eyes were fixed on me, and I felt myself blush.

"Why don't you make a move?" Freddy suggested.

I shook my head. "Nah, I'm eating, man," I replied. I couldn't go over there. I'd only embarrass myself.

"How could you think about eating, man? Make a move!"

"I'm hungry," I explained. Running up and down the beach after a soccer ball sure gives me an appetite.

A guy whom Freddy introduced to me as Ted butted in. "Maybe they ain't got no moves where he comes from," he said. That made me want to roll my eyes at him so bad. The guys laughed.

"I got moves where I come from," I assured him, grinning a bit. "We got more moves back there than here, I'll tell you that much."

"Let's see 'em," Freddy said, dropkicking the ball over to the girls. The caramel-haired stopped playing the guitar and chuckled, putting it aside. "Come on, buddy. Go get her."

One of the chicks over there handed the ball to the caramel-haired girl. I knew I had to go and get the ball back or Freddy would never forgive me.

"I'm going," I said a few times, trying to get the guys off my back. I slowly made my way to the girls, still looking back at the guys who were now trying to stifle their laughter and who were sort of urging me on.

The girl also made her way towards me, and I was so damn grateful that I wouldn't have to talk to her with her little friends eavesdropping on our conversation.

"Did you happen to lose something?" she said. God, her voice sounded perfect. I wish I could tell her that.

"I hope we're not bothering you," I apologized on behalf of the guys.

She grinned and then bounced the ball on her knee once. "Could you show me your keep-ups?" the girl asked sweetly.

"Oh, it's pretty easy," I told her. "You, uh, well, I just start on my knee. I guess you go one – one at a time. And then you try two. One, two." I showed her how to do it even though I knew that she could keep-up the ball perfectly well. I think she was just trying to act nice and make some conversation. "And then three and four… try it. Just bring your leg up. One – good!" She hit it lightly with her knee while giggling.

God, I had a huge crush on her.

**JOHNNY LAWRENCE'S POV:**

We stopped our bikes to the right of a lifeguard tower right beside the beach, hooting and laughing loudly.

"Alright! That was awesome!" Bobby exclaimed.

The Cobra Kai and I have been racing across town. It's something we do on the weekends. Sort of like a friendly competition to see who's the fastest among us. I'm always in the lead, but this time, Bobby and Tommy were pretty darn close to beating me. Jimmy was almost always last because the guy's just too damn careful. I swear he needs to man up a little. So what if you're riding your bike under the influence of beer? That just makes it more exciting. Right?

"Brew time, man," Tommy said. "Who's for a warm one? Here you go." He handed me one.

"No, I pass, man," I told him. I didn't want to get too drunk tonight. Tomorrow, I had to be hella sober because classes were starting early in the morning. No more waking up at noon with a hangover.

"Bobby?" Tommy asked, handing him one.

"No, thanks, pal," he said. I knew that he was thinking like I was; school was more important than beer, now.

Tommy realized why I didn't want to drink. "Johnny, who are you kidding? You're still the Ace Degenerate," he assured me.

"No, _Ex-_Degenerate, man. Eight a.m. tomorrow, I'm a senior. I've got one year to make it all work. And that's what I'm gonna do. Make it work. _All_ of it." I turned to Bobby. "Right?"

"That's right, man," he said, shaking my hand.

"Hey, you must be a trendsetter, Johnny," Tommy chuckled. "Looks like everyone's doing something new." I looked at him, grinning. "Take a right, check it out," he said.

I glanced to where he was looking and my grin disappeared from my face in an instant. Quinn and some skinny twerp in a red hoodie were keeping up a soccer ball, passing it to one another. He snuck behind her and she stumbled backwards as she bounced the ball up, falling on top of him. They were both laughing and flirting and it made me sick.

Sick with jealousy.

Who in the fuck did that bastard think he is? How the hell could he have so much nerve as to go up and flirt with Quinn? What in hell was he _thinking_?!

I swear to God, I am about to commit murder.

I'm not kidding.

"Forget it, man," Bobby said, trying to discourage me from doing anything. "It's not worth it."

God, that angered me even more.

"Who told you, man?" I hissed, putting my helmet back on.

"Johnny!" Bobby exclaimed.

"Man, I thought you guys didn't like each other anymore," Dutch said confusedly.

"He does, she doesn't," Tommy cackled.

That skinny-ass twerp was going to get it. No one takes Quinn Gray away from me.

* * *

**So, just review and tell me what you think. I appreciate all the feedback and I do listen to all of your suggestions and try to include them all so just tell me what you want to see and I'll make it happen. :D**

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11 - Beach Party (Part 3)

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

I saw them. I saw the Cobra Kai on their motorbikes on top of the little hill overlooking the beach and I knew that we were in for trouble. They just can't pass up an opportunity to make my life a living hell, could they?

One thing was certain. I didn't want the guy with the black hair to have anything to do with it. The least I could do was spare him. He didn't deserve to be part of this mess.

"Come on, try it," the boy said, handing me the ball. I nodded in a distant way, not really paying attention.

"Yeah, watch this," I told him, drop-kicking the ball and sending it all the way on the other side of the beach. God, I hope that gave Johnny enough time to bitch around. I hope he would leave by the time the boy got back.

"I'll get it," he assured me. "I'll be right back."

_Take your time_.

I smiled back at him and then ran as fast as I could to the girls' beach towel. I grabbed my guitar and then began to strum it nervously, not really caring about the sounds I made. _Take it easy, Quinn_, I told myself. _Just take it easy_. After a few more strums, I began to actually make what sounded like decent music.

Then, Johnny and his hooligans rode in. Johnny stopped his dirt bike next to our towel and got off. The rest of the Cobras stopped their bikes a little further away from us. Ted, Kevin, and the rest of the guys walked up to them and they began to talk like normal, _civilized_ people. That's more than I can say about Johnny, though.

Johnny took off his gloves. "Hey, Quinn, I wanna talk to you," he announced.

I didn't look up from my guitar. "Just leave me alone," I hissed. "You said what you had to say yesterday, alright? I don't wanna talk."

Johnny took off his helmet and then placed his right hand on mine – the one that was strumming the guitar. "Well, _I_ wanna talk to _you_, alright?" he snapped. God, can't you just take a hint, you dumbass?

I slowly turned my gaze towards him and yanked my hand out of his grasp before starting to strum the guitar again, completely ignoring him. The kid with the black hair came back. I hope he has enough sense to stay out of this.

Johnny grabbed my hand again. "What is your problem?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

_My problem is that you insulted my karate, you _dipshit!

"Look, why don't you just take your little Cobra Kai and get the hell out of here?" I spat, getting up with my guitar.

"Oh, yeah right, and that's gonna solve everything," he scoffed, taking the guitar out of my hands.

"Give me my guitar," I demanded, trying to make a grab for it. He took a step to my right.

"No," Johnny said.

I was about to punch him. "I said give me my guitar!"

"You promise you'll talk to me?"

"Yes, just give me my guitar back." God, if he did anything to damage it, my brother would send me straight to Hell.

"You promise?" The rest of the Cobras were sort of gathering around us along with the black haired kid's friends.

"Yes," I repeated. Then, he slowly handed it to me, but I grabbed it out of his hands.

Now, I swear to God, the only reason why I strummed the guitar again was to make sure that it was okay and that this douche bag didn't damage it in any way. That's the only reason.

But Johnny _Fucking_ Lawrence yanked the guitar out of my hands and fucking _smashed_ – that bastard! – it on the ground. I stared at him with eyes widened in horror.

I acted out of impulse and slammed my hands down hard on his chest, making him _slightly_ stumble backwards. "You just broke my guitar!" I yelled. My brother was going to kill me! It wasn't even mine! What was I going to tell him now?

Tommy had a grin on his face, Dutch was smirking, but Bobby and Jimmy looked concerned.

"Yeah," Johnny agreed, obviously proud of himself.

Then, things took a turn for the worse. The kid with the black hair had to butt in. I know he was just trying to be nice, but… seriously. He reached for my guitar and picked it up.

"Don't touch it, punk!" Johnny warned him.

The black-haired boy was about to hand me the guitar, but Johnny grabbed it out of his hands.

"Hey, man, what's going on?" the black-haired guy asked with an innocent smile. Fuck, don't get near Johnny, you _idiot_! Didn't anyone here tell him not to mess with the freaking Cobra Kai?

"You want it?" Johnny teased with a small smirk forming on his lips.

"Yeah, just give-"

Johnny didn't even bother to listen. He basically threw the guitar at him, pushing him to the ground.

NO! No, no, _NO!_

"Get up," Freddy said, helping the guy up. The black-haired kid had a pissed off look on his face.

I grabbed onto Johnny, trying to stop him from doing anything. I knew that if I let him go, he would start fighting and this guy stood no chance. I mean it. He couldn't even last a minute.

But, Johnny swept me off to the side, and Dutch and Tommy held onto me tightly, snickering. I tried to fight them and wriggle my way out of their grasp, but they were too strong. I don't even know what Kreese makes them do to improve their body strength this way, but I could tell that they weren't even _trying_ to hold me tight. He better train me to become like them or we're gonna have some serious issues…

_Back to the point! Johnny's gonna beat up this kid!_

Right.

Shit.

Johnny rolled up the sleeves of his red leather jacket and the kid with the black hair lunged at him. Johnny merely sidestepped out of the way, tripping the kid. Okay, so that wasn't so bad. Maybe the kid would stay down and everything would turn out fine. But I could tell that Johnny wasn't done yet. He was waiting for the kid to do something again.

"Johnny, stop it! Leave him alone!" I exclaimed.

The black-haired kid got back up – what a _dumbass_ – and then lunged at him again. Johnny turned around, side-stepping him once more with a "Hiyah!"

Tommy stopped holding me, realizing that Dutch was strong enough on his own. I began to squirm even more. "Stop it!" I shouted. "Johnny, please, stop it!"

"I didn't do anything!" Johnny protested, turning around to face me. His eyes were widened and I saw a glint of amusement. Boy, he was enjoying this _way_ too much.

I scoffed. "You didn't do anything, you son of a-"

He stopped listening, and I followed his every movement with my eyes.

"Throw it on!" he taunted the guy with the black hair. "Come on, throw it on!" He really wanted to get punched, didn't he? More like block the punch and come out as a karate champion. Damn retard. Damn cocky retard!

But because Johnny was Johnny, he didn't even give the guy with the black hair a chance. Instead, He spun around into a reverse sidekick that nailed the kid straight in the stomach, making him clutch his abdomen and drop to the ground.

Ted and Kevin and the black-haired kid's other friends leaned down to see if he was all right. Heck, even Bobby and Jimmy had worried look on their faces. Tommy's grin had _almost_ been wiped off, but that was better than nothing, right? Dutch was still being a heartless bastard, and I can tell that Johnny rubbed off on him. Or was it the other way around?

"You must feel like a big man now, huh?" I commented.

Johnny turned to me again, pointing at me with his finger. "Look, _you_ started this. All I wanted to do was talk to you," he said. And I knew that it was true. If I had just paid attention to what he had to say, maybe this would've turned out differently. Maybe – just maybe – he wouldn't have beaten the boy up.

"Fine, just leave him alone and we'll go talk!" I begged. "I promise, we'll go talk and I'll listen to everything you have to say! Come on, Johnny!"

"Yeah, where'd I hear that before?" he retorted angrily. Uh-oh. The grin was back on Tommy's face. But I guess Bobby and Jimmy still stand with me.

Johnny walked towards the black-haired boy on the ground. He was still clutching his stomach. "How about you, hero? Had enough?"

That's when something completely unexpected happened. The boy shot up, punching Johnny in the nose.

"Yeah!" his friends yelled, getting overly-excited.

He just fucked it up big time. Johnny was hella angry now. Why the hell would you punch him, kid?! Didn't you learn anything at all?

Tommy and Dutch began to get angry as well. They were shouting beside me, cursing the kid for throwing one on Johnny.

"Okay, man," said the boy. "Now we're even, huh?"

"No mercy, man," Johnny sneered.

No, please, _no!_

"No mercy," Jimmy agreed from beside Dutch. Oh, perfect. Now Bobby was the only one who wasn't laughing or enjoying any part of this. Dumb dipshits.

Johnny front-kicked the boy, crescent-kicked the boy, and then nailed him in the face with a punch.

"Johnny, no!" I screamed, my voice cracking.

The Cobras cheered when the boy landed on the ground.

"Please, no," I whispered softly. I knew it was too late. Johnny whooped the living daylights out of that boy.

As Johnny turned around, ticked off by everything, Bobby gave him a small smile. So much for having at least one Cobra with brains. Johnny began to leave, but I grabbed onto his jacket and broke free from Dutch's grasp.

"Why don't you hit me?" I snapped. "Why don't you hit _me?_"

"It's your fault!" Johnny said.

"If it's my fault, then take your anger out on _me_ not _him_!"

His eyes narrowed a little. "What?"

"God fucking damn it, you just had to fight, didn't you? You just had to beat up someone who could _never_ match up to you!" I got into a back stance. "_Throw it on_!"

"Forget it," Johnny concluded, shaking his head. He began to leave again, but I stepped in his way.

"I told you that I wanted a re-match, Johnny. Well I want it _now_." He ignored me and tried to walk away again, but I drew my hand back and punched him in the nose the way the black-haired kid did.

Johnny was stunned. He brought his hand up to his nose and then looked at the red liquid that was slowly dripping onto his fingers. Then, he looked back up at me and his eyes met mine. I instantly regretted hitting him. I don't know why, but I did. Something in his azure irises made me feel horribly guilty inside.

However, he gritted his teeth in anger.

"Johnny, man, come on," Bobby said, trying to make him calm down.

Johnny clenched his fists – but he didn't hit me back. He simply turned around and walked away. I held onto his sleeve.

"Come on, Johnny! Why are you afraid to fight me? Isn't my karate supposed to be shit?"

His eyes flickered onto my hand – the one that was clutching onto him – and then back at my face. "Let go," he said.

That angered me even more. "You wanted to fight, right? Let's fight, Johnny. Prove to everyone here that you're a man."

Johnny frowned and his lips formed another sneer. "Bullshit." He yanked his arm away from mine. "Get on your bikes, guys," he ordered, shaking his head and reaching down to pick up his helmet.

I glanced at the boy with black hair. He was still on the ground and in obvious pain.

Dutch passed Johnny and they did a low-five, and I hit Dutch's arm. That was for holding onto me. Both he and Johnny walked away.

I looked back and saw that Bobby was the only Cobra Kai left who didn't get onto their bikes. He stood there, watching the boy on the ground, not saying anything. And I realized that… Bobby wasn't like the others. He had something called morals and he knew that what Johnny just did was completely _immoral_. And I wanted to thank him for not being like the rest but I couldn't even say anything anymore without choking on my words.

I just wanted to curl up somewhere and die. I'd caused this. I'd caused this innocent guy to get hurt. If I had went along with Johnny and listened to whatever crap he had to say, none of this would've happened.

"You sure pick cool people to be friends with, Freddy," Ted said.

That made my jaw drop. How could he say that? How could he say that about him? Couldn't they see that he stood no chance? If _they_ were in his position, they'd be curled up in the fetal position too.

"Where'd you find this guy?" Kevin laughed.

Freddy looked down at the boy with a worried look on his face.

"Come on, let's go," Ted told him. "He'll be all right."

Don't leave him; he needs you!

But they left. They left even though they were supposed to be his friend. They just left him there.

I slowly walked towards the boy and kneeled beside him. "Are you okay?" I softly asked.

"Oh, just leave me alone," he said, sobbing slightly. It made tears well in my eyes. I hated to see him like this. He did nothing but try to hand me the guitar. He didn't even provoke Johnny! He didn't deserve this.

"I-I can help you," I continued.

"Just leave me alone," he repeated, groaning in pain. "I'm okay." Stop trying to act tough, man! You already had your moment when you punched Johnny.

A hand touched my shoulder. "Come on, Quinn, let's go," Barbara said. "Come on, it's better if you leave him alone."

"No, this is my fault," I said. "I can't just leave like this."

"Leave me alone!" he snapped. Then, he dropped his head on his hand and groaned again.

I pressed my lips together and looked away. Then, I slowly got up, hearing the purr of the dirt bikes behind me. I didn't want to leave him there like his _friends_ had done, but Barbara was pulling me along and I knew that the boy would indeed be better off if he spent some time by himself.

But when I turned around to leave, I saw Johnny riding his dirt bike straight over my guitar, crushing it even more. The other Cobras did the same, except for Bobby. He just avoided it.

Sand sprayed the boy with the black hair in the face as the Cobras rode away. I wanted to just reach into the fire, grab some flaming sticks and throw them at those assholes. But I knew that if I did, their families would probably sue me and I'd get arrested for attempted manslaughter or something.

I couldn't stick around to see the boy in pain. I grabbed what was left of my guitar and then stormed off the beach to my car.

Johnny Lawrence was _so_ going to pay for this.

* * *

**There it is. The FINAL part of the beach party. I had to re-watch that scene a couple of times to make sure that every single little movement was accurately described. Yeah, it's not the best, but I guess it'll do.**

**Please review and tell me what you think, guys. I love your feedback. Give me some construction criticism as well and tell me what you guys want to see.**

**And also, don't forget to mention which Cobra Kai you'd like to see more of.**

**So... yeah. Thanks for reading, guys! :D**


	12. Chapter 12 - Dean and Quinn

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

After I pulled the Charger up in Dean's driveway, I took a moment to wipe the tears away from my eyes. No, I wasn't crying because I was sad. I wasn't crying because I felt guilty either. I was crying because I was angry. I was crying because I had a shot at befriending the guy with the black hair—possibly even dating him—but Johnny Lawrence had to come in and ruin everything.

I gripped the steering wheel even harder and then tried to pull myself together.

Why the hell did Johnny have to come into the picture tonight? Why couldn't he have just left me alone? I saw him on top of that hill and I saw him laughing with his friends… and I also saw how enraged he had become when he saw me. He shouldn't be the angry one. After all, it's not like I was the one who insulted _his_ karate. Johnny had no reason to be upset.

But he was. He was and I didn't know why. And he took his anger out on a boy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Johnny should've hit me. Johnny should've beaten me up, too. I punched him in the face, told him that I wanted a re-match, yet he didn't even care. He acted as if nothing had happened—as if he wasn't angry with _me_. But he had to be mad at me. 'Cause if he wasn't mad at me, who else could he have been mad at?

After taking in a few more deep breaths and looking in the rearview mirror to check if I looked alright, I got out of the car with the remaining pieces of Dean's broken guitar. God, he was going to murder me for this. He would probably stab me a few times with a kitchen knife and then stuff my body in a black garbage bag. Here's hoping. I didn't want to have to face Johnny and his friends again at school tomorrow. Who am I kidding? I didn't want to face the kid with the black hair.

I walked up the front steps of the house and then unlocked the door. I was about to make my way to the staircase, but then the living room lit up. Dean was quietly standing beside the light switch to the right of the archway that led to the dining room.

_Busted_, I thought to myself, cursing mentally.

I stood there in silence, not really sure how to begin with my explanations as to why his guitar was torn up the way it was. But I didn't speak first. Dean did.

"Did you have fun?" he asked. I wasn't sure if the question was filled with irony or whether he was just curious.

"Yeah," I lied. My voice cracked, giving me away.

He slowly walked towards me and I backed away into the wall beside the stairs. He was going to hit me, I was sure of it.

But instead, Dean sat down on one of the steps and patted the wooden surface next to him. "Sit down," he said. "I don't bite." I carefully took a seat next to him, still clutching his broken guitar. He jerked his chin in its direction. "What happened?"

I winced a little still remembering the way Johnny threw it on the ground. "It's a long story," I whispered.

Dean chuckled, and that surprised me a little. "You know, when people say that 'it's a long story', they actually just don't feel like talking about it," he explained. Then, his hazel eyes met mine. "You don't have to lie to me, Quinn. Just tell me what happened. I'll understand."

That angered me. "No, you _won't_ understand!" I snapped. Who was he to act nice to me? Who was he to tell me that I don't have to lie when he's lying to me right now? He's just faking his kindness. That's all it will ever be—an act.

Dean sighed and then clasped his hands in front of him. "Quinn, I've lived longer than you have. I've felt more things than you have. I've even cried more times than you have. You don't always have to keep pretending like everything is okay when it's really not. Sometimes… sometimes you have to just let go."

"Yeah, like you let go thirteen years ago?" I spat.

He grimaced and then ran a hand through his light chestnut brown hair. "What I did had to be done."

"So you_ had_ to just forget about me?" My teeth gritted together. "You _had_ to just take off, knowing perfectly well that I would have to grow up without an older brother—the older brother that was supposed to watch over me and take care of me?"

"I didn't have a choice, Quinn."

"What do you mean you didn't have a choice? Everyone has a choice, Dean."

"Well, I didn't!" he shot back. "I _didn't_ have a choice!" He breathed in. "Quinn, how much did your parents tell you about… about the day I left?"

"_My_ parents? Their your parents too."

Dean blinked. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Anyways, how much did they tell you?"

What Dean said still bothered me. _My_ parents? It should've been _our_ parents. I dropped it, though. "They didn't have to tell me much. I was there when you stormed out. I saw it all."

He let out a bitter laugh. "No. You saw _nothing_."

My brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"If that's all you know about me—that I left—then you don't know anything about me at all."

"And whose fault is that? It's not like you stuck around long enough for me to actually get to know you."

"Point made." Dean looked me in the eyes. "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry and I'll continue to be sorry until the day that I die."

The next words rushed out of my mouth without me even realizing it. "It's okay." I don't know why I said them but I immediately wanted to take them back. Because it was _not_ okay. It was _not_ okay!

"Are you gonna tell me what happened?" Dean urged.

I inhaled sharply and then glanced down at the guitar. "The beach party was good until…"

"Until what?"

"Until Johnny Lawrence showed up."

Dean cracked a smile. "The kid from the dojo?"

"Yeah, that's the guy. I was keeping up a soccer ball with a boy–"

"Is he cute?"

I raised an eyebrow. "_What_? That's beside the point, Dean."

"Just asking," he said, raising his hands in defense.

I shook my head. "No, he wasn't cute. He was _insanely_ cute."

"Is he blond?"

I wanted to laugh. Since when was he so interested in how a guy looked? "No, he had black hair. Anyways, I was keeping up a soccer ball with him and we were all having a good time when Johnny came in and got really pissy and beat the crap out of the boy."

Dean laughed for a few seconds. "And let me guess, Quinn. He was the one that smashed the guitar?"

"There's at least a dozen witnesses," I replied.

He clicked his tongue. "You wanna know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think Johnny has a crush on you."

My eyes widened and I couldn't believe what Dean just said. Johnny Lawrence couldn't have a crush on me. After the way he acted, after insulting my karate, after lashing out at me simply because I didn't want to talk to him… the thought of him having a crush on me was the dumbest thing I've heard. "No. No way, Dean. Not a chance. If anything, he hates my guts."

He arched his eyebrows. "Really? Then why would he beat up that boy, huh?"

"Because Johnny and I were arguing and the kid came in to pick up the guitar and hand it to me. I mean, he was the one that intervened and Johnny took his anger out on him."

"Are you sure that he wasn't originally mad at the boy?"

"What?" The whole idea seemed preposterous.

"You and that boy were having fun, right? Probably even flirting a little. Here's what happened—Johnny got jealous. He got jealous because that boy was the one having fun with you on the beach instead of him."

It was my turn to laugh. "No. You don't know Johnny, Dean. You don't know him, but I guarantee you that if you did, you'd immediately think otherwise about him having a crush on me."

"I guarantee you that if I ever get to know him, my suspicions would only turn out to be true."

I shook my head. "You're _so_ wrong." Then, I handed him his guitar. "Well, I'm sorry about your guitar, Dean."

"It's okay," he assured me. "Go to bed. You're tired."

Now that he mentioned it, I was feeling sorta sleepy.

"Alright." Then, I spoke without thinking again. "Sleep tight, Dean."

I ran up the stairs, not stopping until I got to my room and shut the door. Then, I leaned against it, swearing at myself for being so nice.

But what Dean said resurfaced in my mind. _I think Johnny has a crush on you_.

I knew that he was wrong. Johnny Lawrence most certainly did not think of me that way. He called my karate shit for Christ's sake! That's not what guys say to girls if they're attracted to them.

Yet a part of me wondered if Dean could possibly be right.

**BOBBY BROWN'S POV:**

Johnny parked his bike in his driveway and then got off. I rode past him, giving him a small wave. He didn't return it. God, was he still angry about what happened at the beach? I hoped not. He should know better than that.

But I guess when you're blinded by jealousy, you really don't know any better.

I kept riding my bike until I reached my house. It was only a minute away from Johnny's. Us Cobras lived so damn close to one another that it felt like we were actually living together. We've been over at each other's houses way too many times. For example, I know each and every one of Tommy's liquor hiding spots. He _has_ to hide it from his parents. They'd kill him if they knew how many times their son got drunk in a week. And it goes for Jimmy too. He's not as innocent as his parents make him out to be.

Slowly, I got off my bike and went inside the house, up to my room. I took off my jacket and stripped out of my clothes, leaving me only in my boxers, before letting myself fall on my bed.

God, what happened today was so wrong. Johnny shouldn't have beaten up that guy the way he did. And for what? A girl who just so happens to do karate with us.

Okay, I admit it; Quinn was sort of attractive. However, I shuddered as soon as that thought ran through my mind. I could never think of her the way Johnny thinks of her. In a way, it's sorta cute to see that Johnny's finally got his eye on a girl who isn't whoring around every night with any guy she can get her hands on. He's never really had a crush before, so I guess Quinn's his first one. Johnny's used to getting whatever girl he wanted so there was really no challenge to it.

But now, I think that Johnny took up a challenge that is far too much for him to handle. Quinn didn't just dislike him; she had the hots for another guy. A guy who is different from Johnny in every possible way.

I don't even know what she saw in him. That pathetic weakling wasn't worth her time. And I'm not just saying this because Johnny's one of my best friends. I'm saying this because it's true. I don't know why she even bothered. Still, Johnny shouldn't have beaten him up. He shouldn't have acted the way he did. I think he pretty much ruined whatever chances he had with Quinn.

Maybe she took an interest in that guy because she wanted to make Johnny jealous. Maybe she knows that Johnny likes her. Maybe that's the only reason why she would ever flirt with that skinny little pansy.

Or maybe she seriously has a horrible taste in boys.

I was inching more towards the first explanation. Quinn was probably crazy over Johnny. Maybe she didn't even know it yet. Actually, I was certain that she didn't know it yet. But I wasn't going to worry about it. She'll figure it out eventually. I'm sure Johnny would help her with that. He would never give up on her.

That made me grin. Johnny had the most determination out of all of us. I think that's one of the many reasons why he's Kreese's favorite student.

One thing was for sure; if that kid intervenes again in Johnny and Quinn's relationship, I don't think that Johnny would hold back on him the way he did today. I'll bet all my money on that.

* * *

**In this chapter, I'm just beginning to focus on Dean and Quinn's relationship. There's a good reason for why he left and you'll see that it will be explained later. Any guesses on what that reason might be?**

**Bobby Brown is badass. 'Nuff said. Can you imagine him lying on his bed, wearing nothing but boxers? I know I can ;)**

**The next chapter will also feature Daniel's POV. Just to let you guys know.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! Review and tell me what you think. :D**


	13. Chapter 13 - Two Boys In Love

**JOHNNY LAWRENCE'S POV:**

When I woke up, memories from last night began flooding my brain. At first, I lay in bed, debating whether or not it was all a dream or whether it really happened. But when I reached up to brush the hair out of my eyes, my fingers lightly touched my nose and pain shot through me.

Yeah, it really happened.

Damn, Quinn can punch. That skinny twerp was nothing compared to her.

Speaking of that skinny twerp, I wonder if he has enough guts to show up to school today. I don't even know if he's going to West Valley High, but if he is, I don't think that he'll be brave enough to show his face. Not after what happened last night. Not after the beating he got.

I smirked. If he's a no-show, then Quinn will see how much of a coward that punk-ass is. And it will only help her realize that I'm much better for her than that idiot will ever be.

I got out of bed to take a shower.

**DANIEL LARUSSO'S POV:**

Man, it was worth it.

Getting beaten up for that girl was _definitely_ worth it. I know that it might not have been smart—actually, it wasn't smart at all—but I didn't really give a crap about that at the moment.

I let steaming water fall down on me from the showerhead. I don't know if this applies for everyone but showers are one of the best places for me to think in. Maybe it's because of the soothing water. Or maybe it's because of the privacy that comes along with taking a shower.

I dreamed about her last night. I dreamed about the girl with the caramel hair. She was pretty, there's no questioning that, but… there was something more to her than her looks. Maybe it was the way she smiled at him. Her smile seemed to be filled with so much—what was that word?—candor. Ah, yes, candor.

Reluctantly, I got out of the shower. I didn't want to be late for school. Especially not on my first day. What kind of impression would that make? Certainly not a good one, I'll tell you that.

But after getting dressed, I realized that I had a small problem. That blond jerk from yesterday had given me a black eye. I didn't even notice it this morning when I took my shower. I should've but I didn't.

How in the hell do I hide this from my mother?! She's going to flip if she sees me like this. Ma always ended up overreacting if anything bad happened to me. If I stubbed my toe, she'd fuss over it and make me lie down on the couch so that I wouldn't have to walk on my injured foot. If I banged my head on something, she'd make me hold a cold compress to _soothe_ the pain. Honestly, all it did was make me feel cold. But I couldn't tell her that. I knew she was just trying to help.

But I couldn't let her see this black eye. She would freak out and I didn't want to stay home from school—especially not on the first day.

I swore at myself for not getting around to unpacking when I had the chance. After digging in my suitcase for a few minutes, I found a pair of black sunglasses and slipped them on. Eh, if I'm careful enough, maybe she won't notice anything.

As if on cue, Ma shouted my name. I walked into the kitchen and then opened the fridge.

"How was the party?" she asked while putting some scrambled eggs onto a plate. The party was amazing and terrible at the same time. I met the dreamiest girl—I bet you she could outdo Judy, my ex-girlfriend back in Newark, in everything—but I got beaten up by some guy who was harassing her.

"Meh, it was okay," I answered, taking a gulp of orange juice straight out of the carton.

Ma smacked my butt playfully. "Must have been more than okay, I didn't even hear you come in." She placed the plate of eggs on the table and then sat down. "Any friend material?"

"Yeah, some. A couple of guys," I replied, rushing to my plate. "I gotta go." I grabbed some toast and then hurried to the door.

"Sit down and eat first," Ma said.

"Nah, I'm not hungry." I took a huge bite out of the toast and then chewed it. Then, I grabbed my backpack from the couch.

"Aw, come on, you need energy to be charming," Ma insisted.

"I'm fine. I got energy." I reached the door when she stopped me.

"Do me a favor."

"What?"

"Take off the glasses," she said with a huge smile.

Panic struck me. "Why?"

"Because I asked you to." No, Ma, I can't take off the glasses. I just can't let you see my black eye.

I opened the door. "Come on, Ma. It's California. It's the looks."

"Take them off," Ma continued. "I wanna see your baby browns."

"Ma, come on with the baby browns."

Ma raised an eyebrow. "Are you on something?"

I felt like laughing. She thinks I'm on drugs? That's so far off, Ma. "Yeah, Ma, I'm on Minute Maid."

"Why are you hiding your eyes?" she pressed on.

"I'm not hiding my eyes!" I protested.

"Then take off the glasses."

Damn it, _mother_! "Ma, come on–"

"_NOW_!" she commanded.

Well, it was nice while it lasted. I knew that I couldn't keep hiding from her. For a second, I considered bolting out the door, but she would chew me out when I came home after school, so that wasn't such a smart idea.

I took off the glasses.

Ma's face lit up with anger. "Oh my God!" she said through gritted teeth while getting up. "How did that happen?" She walked over to me. "Huh? What happened?"

"I hit a curb with my bike and then it hit me. I wore the glasses 'cause I didn't want you to worry." She began to inspect my eye. "It looks worse than it feels," I said, touching it.

"Don't do that! It's gonna make it worse!"

"Ma, it doesn't hurt!"

"Can you see?"

"I can see fine, alright?"

"Do you wanna stay home from school?"

What? And miss seeing that girl again? Hell no! What if she went to West Valley High? I couldn't just let her see me as a wimp who's trying to cower at home. "No, I gotta go," I said, kissing her cheek.

And then I shot out the door.

It took me a while to find the high school, but I was determined to not be late on my first day. It would really suck to show up late to class. I'd immediately me on my teachers' bad list. So I rode my bike as fast as I could. Ma had given me the instructions on how to get to West Valley from even before we moved to California. She was always planning in advance. I remembered how excited she got over the fact that our apartment building had a pool. Turned out that it barely had any water, and the liquid on the bottom that they _claimed_ to be water was a dirty shade of green. She's too optimistic. She really thinks that California's gonna be great. I suggest that she changes her mind set. We both know that it won't be great. I don't know how much longer she'll be able to lie to herself.

But that wasn't what I was thinking about on the way to school. No, man. On the way to school, I was thinking of that caramel-haired chick from the beach party. Man, I hope she's going to West Valley High. I mean, that would _definitely_ make putting up with this hell worth it. I felt so giddy. There was a chance that she might go to school with me. I mean, didn't those girls from the 'hills' go to school at West Valley? Wasn't she from the 'hills' as well? That's what Freddy said anyways.

When I finished setting up my bike in the bike racks, I began to walk towards the large building. However, when I looked around, I saw something that made my heart stop for a split-second. I swear it did.

The blonde guy from the beach—the girl called him 'Johnny' or something—was there too. The other four idiots that witnessed my beating yesterday surrounded him and a red and white dirt bike. I think they must be a little gang of some sort. Anyways, Johnny and another boy with a blue and purple and green shirt were talking. He had a black binder out. Maybe they were checking their schedules. The guy with the pink shirt beside them was looking at his reflection in the side mirrors of the dirt bike, while the other two guys crouched on the ground were admiring the bike's wheels. The other blond guy said something funny 'cause they all looked in his direction and Johnny cracked a smile.

Great. Just great. Now they were going to make my living hell an even bigger living hell. It wasn't enough that they humiliated me yesterday. No, it wasn't. Now, they were going to humiliate me every single day of my senior year. Couldn't God just give me a break? Wasn't it enough that I had to leave New Jersey a couple of days ago and start a new life in this shit state of California?

I turned around and began to leave. I could hear the five guys laughing in the background, but I knew they weren't laughing at me. It wouldn't be long until they do, though.


	14. Chapter 14 - Heated Argument

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

I was at my locker, putting my things inside. School was horrible today. I had three classes with the Cobra Kai. Luckily for me, Johnny wasn't in any of my classes yet, so I felt like that was God's way of telling me that things aren't as bad as they seemed. Dutch was in my Algebra class; Tommy and Jimmy were in my Physics class; Bobby was in my Geometry class. I ended up giving them all cold glares whenever they snuck a glance at me. I spent lunch alone, walking around the neighborhood until classes began again.

It was sort of cool to have the school like a giant 'O' around a courtyard in the middle. There was a field in the back as well. For my P.E. class—which was a girls-only class—I had to run five laps around the field as a warm-up. Most girls were panting heavily by the time they got to their second, but I lasted until the very end and finished first. It wasn't much of an achievement; the girls were all complaining about how hot it was outside—Susan had decided to even wear long sweatpants instead of shorts—and they would stop after they ran half-a-lap. Honestly, it was the worst thing I've ever seen in my life. Pathetic. Back in Salem, I wasn't even one of the top ten girls at long-distance running in my class. Here, I was the best out of them all.

The only type of running that I was actually pretty decent at was short-distance running. I managed to win third place out of all the girls at my old high school. It wasn't much, but it was something I was proud of. I'm betting you that if we had another race like that here, I'd probably place higher than I did before.

Anyways, I hadn't seen that kid with the black hair at all today. I don't think he even goes to West Valley. I mean, I've been looking for him all day. Well, that last part was a lie. I actually haven't been trying to find him that hard. I would sneak a look around for him every time I walked to class, but I didn't ask Freddy or Kevin or Ted if they'd seen him or anything.

Actually, I wouldn't even talk to Freddy or Kevin or Ted. Or any of the guys from yesterday's beach party, for that matter. They just left the black-haired kid when he needed them most. They ditched him because he couldn't win against Johnny. I'd love to see _them_ try to stand up to the best student at the Cobra Kai dojo. Those scum-filled, two-faced bitches. I wouldn't let them live it off that easily. They'll rue the moment they walked away from their friend. I would make sure of that. After all, I was a Cobra Kai too. Johnny Lawrence is not the only person they should fear.

I grabbed my backpack out of my locker and shut it closed. I was about to leave when I saw a familiar figure standing farther away from me. The boy with the black hair was here. You have no idea how fast my heart began to beat. He was looking over a piece of paper stuck onto a wall that said "SOCCER TRYOUTS AFTER SCHOOL" in big, bold letters. There was also some other information down below the large writing, but I didn't really care about that part. He _should_ try-out. He was good. I knew that for a fact—I mean, I've seen him play before. The kid's got talent. He would be perfect on the soccer team.

The kid turned his head slightly in my direction, and a small, toothy grin spread across his face. I waved a little and he lifted his hand up a little bit to wave back.

That's when Johnny appeared in front of me with his little gang.

"Hey, Quinn," he said. "What are you doing after school?"

"Something that does not include you," I replied, glancing back at the boy with black hair. His grin faded and he turned slowly, walking away.

Johnny pursed his lips. "Ooh, someone's a little upset," he sang. The boys snickered. "Come on, Quinn. Tell us what's the matter."

I glared at him. "Are you really that forgetful, Johnny? Do you not remember how you smashed my guitar yesterday and then picked a fight with a guy who was _clearly_ less skilled in karate than you?"

He scoffed and then looked away for a quick second. Then, his eyes met mine again, and something strange happened. I no longer felt so angry. "I'm sorry about your guitar. But _you_ started it. All I wanted to do was talk to you."

"How did I start it? You were the one who called my karate shit, not the other way around! And then you come up to me and try to force me to talk to you and pretend like nothing happened?" My cheeks were heating up.

Johnny was starting to get a little pissed off. "Hey! _You_ broke your promise. You said you'd talk to me and instead, you strum your stupid guitar in my face!"

"I was just checking to see whether you had damaged it or not!"

"How could I have damaged it?" Johnny shouted. A few people were beginning to look at us. "All I did was take it away from you because you wouldn't listen!"

"No one gave you the right to take it away from me!"

"Oh, like I wasn't gonna give it back."

"You probably wouldn't have given it back if I hadn't agreed to talk to you."

"You didn't even carry out your promise so why does it matter anyways?"

"It matters because you smashed it and it wasn't even mine! That was my brother's guitar and now, he won't ever trust me again with his things!" I didn't know if it was true or not, but neither did Johnny, so it didn't matter.

"Well, now _I_ can't trust you again to keep your word because you didn't keep your word yesterday!" Johnny yelled, advancing towards me with clenched fists. We were so close that if I wanted to, I could raise my hand and touch his face… his cheeks… his lips… and I don't know why but… but part of me wanted to.

But Johnny just exhaled sharply and stepped back, folding his arms across his chest. "Are you coming to the soccer try-outs?" he asked.

"Why would I?"

"Because we're all trying out for the soccer team."

I frowned. "What does that have to do with me?"

He shrugged. "You're a Cobra Kai, right? Aren't you gonna at least show _some_ support or something? It's not like we're asking you to stab someone. We're just asking you to come watch."

_We're_. So it wasn't really him who wanted me to be there. I was a little disappointed for some strange reason. But that's when I realized that if I went, I could see the boy with the black hair again. And I wanted to see him again so bad.

"Fine. I'll be there."

Then, I walked away, brushing past Johnny's shoulder.


	15. Chapter 15 - Soccer Tryouts

**DANIEL LARUSSO'S POV:**

I was standing on the soccer field after school with some kid with a light olive green hoodie. I didn't really know him—actually, I didn't know him at all—but from the looks of it, he was a loner. I don't think that he minded the fact that I was right beside him. Maybe he didn't even notice I was there.

I was watching the first group of guys play soccer. Johnny and his other blond friend—the one who cracked a joke this morning and made his little gang laugh—were in that group. As much as I hated admitting this, they were both terrific players. Johnny was trying out for center forward while his blond friend was playing left halfback. I hated them for being so good. That just made it harder for me to get on the team. What if their three other friends were just as good? I shuddered. That would just make it even worse.

Suddenly, Freddy and the other guys from yesterday ran towards me. "Hey, guys! Freddy, how you doing?" I asked, smiling.

"Hey, karate kid," Freddy greeted.

What? God, if they're still talking about what happened yesterday…

"Let's see the moves," he teased, pretending to kick Kevin.

"Come on, man, he knows how to get his butt kicked," David piped in.

"I already know that move," Ted laughed, running away with the soccer ball.

Kevin chuckled. "Let's get out of here." And then they ran after Ted.

And it hurt. It hurt to know that the people who I thought were my friends turned out to be nothing but backstabbing idiots. They're laughing at the fact that I couldn't beat up Johnny. They're laughing at the fact that I got my ass kicked for the girl I like.

I swallowed hard. Let them laugh. What do I care? They can't hurt me anymore than they already have.

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

I watched as Freddy and his little crew ran away laughing. I'd heard everything they said to the boy with the black hair. They just treated him like he was a joke. Some friends they were. I was grateful that the boy stood up for me. I was grateful that he took my side and tried to seem tough. Even though it was foolish and stupid and reckless, I couldn't ignore the fact that this boy got a beating for _me_.

So since I couldn't help him yesterday, I was going to help him today. I was going to be the friend that Freddy should've been. I didn't care what people would say about me or think about me. I couldn't care less about what Johnny and the rest of the Cobra Kai would do. I _wanted_ to hang out with the black-haired boy. And nothing was gonna stop me from that.

I picked up a stray soccer ball and then walked towards the boy, throwing the ball at him. "Hey, think fast!"

The boy caught it and I laughed slightly.

"Hi," he said, smiling.

"Hi," I replied, feeling my cheeks turn red.

"How you doing?" the boy asked.

I winced. "Ooh, your eye."

"Eh, don't worry, it looks worse than it feels. Believe me." But I was worried. I couldn't help but to be worried. He twirled the ball around his waist.

"I believe you." Then, I stuck my hands in my pockets. "Hey, listen, I never got to thank you for what you did yesterday." His brown eyes flickered to mine. Then, he shook his head.

"Oh, nah, that was nothing," the boy told me. He bounced the ball on his knee once. "I'm just sorry about your guitar." He continued to keep up the ball two more times.

"I'm more sorry about your eye. You should've just given him the guitar."

"Well, why? It wasn't his, right?" he said with a coy smile.

A small grin spread on my lips. "Yeah, it wasn't his."

"See that? We think alike already."

I giggled—which was very unusual for me—and then looked away for a few seconds, trying to hide my obvious blush. "Wanna know what else we do alike?" I took the ball from his hands and then began to keep it up, bouncing it from one knee to another. I was trying to show off a little. Don't judge me. He was worth showing off for.

"Hey, you've been practicing," he observed.

"Of course. I wanna be just as good as you."

"I think you're better," the boy admitted.

I rolled my eyes. "No, I'm not. You're just flattering me. I can't make it past twenty no matter how hard I try."

"You think I can?"

"I know you can."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? And how do you know that?"

I shrugged with an innocent smile. "I've been watching you yesterday."

"Really?"

"Couldn't help it. You were the best soccer player out of all those guys."

It was his turn to blush, even though it barely showed on his smooth olive skin.

"Well, now, you're not so bad yourself."

I chuckled. "How would you know?"

"I've seen you during P.E."

I clasped my hands together. "During P.E.?"

"Yeah, I was in my English class and I looked out the window and there you were." God, he's been watching me too. I felt like dying of happiness inside. The boy with the black hair has been paying attention to me. And it was true; during P.E., our teacher made us play a little game of soccer. Most girls were terrible. I think that only four girls proved themselves to be decent players. I scored two goals for our team and that's when the period ended.

"That wasn't really a fair game. The other team stood no chance."

"That's because they had you as an opponent," the boy explained.

The soccer coach blew his whistle. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Johnny and Dutch were glaring at the boy with the black hair. However, he seemed oblivious to it. I turned to look at him. "I think you're supposed to play now," I said. "I'll see you around. Bye."

I began to walk away to the right side of the field where the boys weren't playing. I wanted to watch the soccer tryouts for two reasons; one, I said to Johnny and the Cobra Kai that I would and I have to keep my word, and two, the boy with the black hair was going to be trying out and he needed someone to cheer for him.

"Hey!" he called out, making me look back at him. "Have you got a name?"

"Quinn with two 'n's. Hey, what's your name?"

"Daniel with one 'l'."

"I'll see you later," I chuckled. Then I sat down on the grass a little farther away from him. He began to keep up the ball. That's when I noticed Bobby and Tommy and Jimmy behind him, talking to one another. Bobby turned around, smiling, when he caught a sight of Daniel. Then, he glanced back at Johnny who was still glaring at Daniel. Johnny made a slight cutting movement across his throat with his left hand. My eyes shot back to Bobby, who made an 'okay' sign with his fingers. He turned back to Tommy and Jimmy—who witness everything, mind you—and they huddled around together with huge grins on their faces.

Perfect. Just perfect. What the hell were they going to do now? They wouldn't leave Daniel alone, I'll tell you that. I glanced back at Johnny, and he said something that I could not hear to Dutch. They shook hands, grinning.

Before the second game began, all of the Cobra Kai took off their shirts. And as much as I despised myself for admitting it, they looked… _good_. I've seen them shirtless before in the Cobra Kai change room, but I hadn't paid much attention to them before. I was far too busy trying to change without letting any of the guys see me naked. _That_ was my biggest concern. But now that I got a good look at the five guys without their shirts on, I was sort of impressed. They worked out and it showed.

Johnny caught me looking at him and I snapped my head in the opposite direction, feeling so embarrassed for thinking that he looked attractive. Johnny Lawrence was a jerk. I wasn't supposed to think of him that way. Especially not after he called my karate shit. And especially not after he beat up Daniel.

The game began, and I was grateful for that because the Cobras were too caught up in it to realize that I was staring right at them. Johnny and Dutch stood on the sides, but they were also busy cheering their other three friends on. Daniel managed to get a hold of the ball.

"Get him, Bobby," Tommy said. "Get him."

Jimmy tried to steal the ball away from Daniel but Daniel dodged him.

"Oh, I got him," Bobby assured Tommy. "I got the little sleazeball." He ran backwards, glaring at Daniel. "You ain't going nowhere, are ya, you little sleazeball? _Are ya?_"

Then, Bobby dropped to the ground, swinging his legs out and tripping Daniel as well. Daniel landed on the grass with a groan. Bobby got up, grinning as Tommy laughed loudly. My jaw was dropped. Here I was, happily thinking that Bobby had the most common sense out of all the Cobra Kai. I thought wrong. He was just like them—a cruel, immoral, heartless dipshit who enjoyed seeing others suffer. And calling Daniel a sleazeball was just over the top. A sleazeball was someone who unsuccessfully attempted to get with girls. Daniel wasn't like that at all. First of all, he wasn't attempting to _get_ with me, and even if he was, he got me nonetheless. I was reeled in and I wasn't ashamed of it. Daniel was sweet and kind and funny and cute… what girl _wouldn't_ want to get with him? He most definitely wasn't a sleazeball. If anything, the Cobra Kai were sleazeballs.

"Have a nice trip?" Bobby taunted. I had hoped that Daniel would've just gotten up and ignored him, but instead, Daniel lunged at him and knocked him down. He wrestled him around on the ground.

"Coach, look what he's doing!" Tommy exclaimed. "Look what he's doing to Bobby!"

Daniel punched Bobby in the jaw. I couldn't help myself from letting out a laugh. Serves him right. Even though Daniel was probably going to get it again later, it served Bobby right. That turd-face deserved it.

Coach Dalton got Daniel off of Bobby, but Bobby wasn't about to let it go.

"Hey, nobody hits me!" he screamed. "I'm gonna kill him!"

A couple of guys rushed to hold Bobby back, even though they were struggling to keep him from pulverizing Daniel. Tommy had a strong grip on Daniel, holding him so that Bobby could hit him back, but the coach got in the way.

"Kill him, Bobby!" Tommy shouted. "Kill him!"

"There's no place on this team for that kind of crap!" Coach Dalton yelled at Daniel. What? Was he for real? Daniel had to be on the team!

I shot up.

"He hooked me, man!" Daniel protested, breaking free from Tommy's grasp. He was trying to make his way towards Bobby again, who also broke free from the other guys' grasps, but Dalton pushed Daniel away.

"I said out of here!"

Daniel walked away, clearly angry. Bobby pulled away from a guy who was still trying to stop him from beating Daniel up. God, if I wasn't so pissed off at him, I'd go as far as to call him handsome. I mean, his body was like that of a god or something. But I was pissed off at him and I wasn't going to let my hormones take over.

"This school sucks, man!" Daniel spat. "It sucks!"

Johnny was grinning behind Daniel while Dutch mimicked him, clearly mocking him and making fun of him. I grabbed my backpack from the ground next to me and then began to leave too. I jostled past Bobby, and I immediately saw some slight look of remorse on his face. He had his mouth open to call me back, but then he just dropped the idea.

As I walked past Johnny, I shot him daggers with my eyes. "You're dead," I mouthed, passing by him.

But Johnny just laughed. He wouldn't be laughing tomorrow during our karate class after school. I'll make sure of that.

* * *

**For the soccer tryouts, I had to re-watch the whole scene in the movie. I swear to God, at one point I wasn't even breathing properly because of the Cobra Kai. They were shirtless during the entire game! I thought Bobby was a hottie during the soccer game. Daniel shouldn't have punched him. All Bobby did was trip him. Daniel should've watched where he was going.**

**Anyways, I'll update soon. Please review and tell me what you think ;)**


	16. Chapter 16 - A Warning

**Hey, guys! I made a small reference to The Outsiders in this chapter. See if you can find it :D**

* * *

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

I waited for Freddy and his little crew to finish their soccer game. Since they were in the first group, they left earlier than the other guys who were trying out. I kept on waiting until I heard them walk out of their change rooms. And when they did, I grabbed Freddy by his shirt and pushed him against the wall beside the change room doors.

"Alright, you little shit. If you dare to make fun of Daniel again, I. Will. End. You."

Freddy didn't say anything for a moment. Then, he burst out laughing with his friends joining in.

"It's not our fault he's so lame," he protested.

"Oh, so just because he got his butt kicked yesterday, you guys think he's lame?" I drew my fist back and punched Freddy hard in the stomach. He groaned and slid down the wall, clutching his abdomen. Ted, Kevin, and David just stared in shock. "Get up," I hissed.

Freddy obliged, but as soon as he got up, I did a roundhouse kick that hit him in the jaw. He hit the floor again, whimpering.

"How does it feel, Freddy? How does it feel to get beaten up? Better yet, how does it feel to know that your friends aren't doing anything to help you?"

Freddy held his right hand out weakly, gasping for air. "I'm sorry," he croaked. "Don't hit me, please."

I crouched down next to him and was about to swing another punch. But instead of hitting him, I intentionally struck the locker beside Freddy's head. My hand had left a dent in the metal.

"Consider this a warning," I spat before getting up and leaving.

**DANIEL LARUSSO'S POV:**

It was obvious that Johnny and his gang hated me. I don't know what I'd done to make them hate me. All I ever did was talk to Quinn. Oh, sure, I'd punched Johnny in the face but that was only because he beat me up first. What was I supposed to do, let him screw me over? No, thanks, pal. No way. I wasn't going to just stand there and let myself become his little punching bag.

I think it's safe to say that Johnny has a crush on Quinn. Otherwise, he wouldn't have done all these things to me. I'm pretty sure that if I hadn't intervened, he and I would've had nothing bad going on between us. Heck, maybe we would've even become friends. But because I _had_ intervened and because I flirted with Quinn a little, Johnny was out to get me. I know that he made Bobby trip me. Bobby was an idiot for following Johnny's orders, but Johnny was the real asshole here.

Johnny was obviously trying to make himself look good in Quinn's eyes. That's why he had Bobby trip me. He didn't want me on the soccer team with him. Otherwise, I might steal the spotlight away from him. Selfish jerk.

But I wasn't gonna give up on Quinn that easily. She was worth fighting for. Johnny was not good for her. He was too much of a cocky, arrogant, hotheaded jackass. Maybe if he toned it all down a little, he might stand a chance. But I hoped he wouldn't tone it down. Because then, Quinn would see that I'm much better for her than he was.

I kept on walking home with my hands in my pockets. What I needed to do was to learn karate. I needed to learn to defend myself against those hooligans. I couldn't let myself get kicked around like a little dark puppy. If those guys wanted to resort to violence, then fine. I would too. And it would all be worth it as long as Quinn noticed.


	17. Chapter 17 - The Pie Incident

**Look up the Karate Kid rehearsals on YouTube, guys. Near the end of part 2, you'll see the pie incident and you guys will understand what this chapter is talking about. It's a deleted scene that should've been included in the movie but wasn't due to the movie being too lengthy otherwise. I thought it was an awesome scene so I included it in this story.**

**Enjoy :)**

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**DANIEL LARUSSO'S POV:**

When I got home, I changed into a pair of comfortable clothes and then rummaged through a box of books that mom had brought from Newark. Finally, after a minute of constant rifling through the box, I found what I was looking for. _Karate 101: Defensive and Offensive Techniques_. This was perfect. I could pick up a few tricks from here.

I went inside the living room where I had more free space to move in, and then I opened the book to a page that illustrated different kicks. This one was called a roundhouse kick, apparently. Well, whatever its name, I was going to learn it.

I began to practice it.

"Fifty-two, fifty-three," I panted. "Fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven…"

Someone knocked on the outer glass door of our apartment. I turned around slightly and saw the maintenance man that I had spoken to a few days ago.

"Fix faucet," he said.

"Oh, yeah, come on in," I replied. "It's the kitchen one."

Where was I? Oh, it didn't matter. I restarted my counting. "Uh, one. Two. Three."

"Oh, karate," the maintenance man said.

"Yeah. Five, six…"

"Very good," he praised. The guy was just being friendly. I probably looked like an idiot right now, but it didn't matter. I had to nail this kick right. "Learn from book?"

"And a few months at the Y in Newark where I lived." Those months didn't pay off whatsoever. I learned almost nothing. I had to get my head in the game and do this right, otherwise I'd continue to be a kicking sack for those idiots. "Nine, ten…" The maintenance man put his toolbox down on the kitchen counter next to the sink. "Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen…"

"What happened to eye?" he asked as he began to work on the plumbing.

"Sevente–oh, I fell off my bike. Eighteen, nineteen, twenty…"

"Lucky you no hurt hand," he pointed out.

I stopped abruptly and then glanced down at my palms. Then, I eyed him, sighing. What did _he_ know? It's not like what he thought mattered, anyways.

I began to kick with my other leg.

* * *

School seemed to flow so much more smoothly the next day. Maybe that was because I wasn't anxious about Quinn attending West Valley High. I was a total wreck before because I didn't know whether she'll be there with me, but now that I knew she was, I felt so much better.

I spied her whenever I got the chance. I would sneak glances in her direction when she wasn't looking, and I'd catch myself smiling whenever she did. She wasn't talking to Johnny and his gang so I knew that she was probably angry over what they did yesterday. I know she witnessed everything. I know she witnessed the punch I threw. I bet she enjoyed seeing that. Well, if it made her happy, then it was worth it.

Finally, when lunch came around, I realized that I was famished. The cafeteria food might not have been so good, but it was filling and it gave me enough energy to keep me awake. I grabbed a tray and then walked along in line to get my food.

I was debating which kind of pie I should get. There was cherry pie and blueberry pie and I was fond of both. Ma used to bake me pies back in Newark. I don't think she'll have enough time to continue that tradition here in California because she works too much every single day. When she comes home, she's too tired to do anything. Last night, she was dozing off as we ate dinner. This isn't healthy for her, but I don't think she'll ever complain about it to me. She's still trying to make me think that this was a great idea. Whining about her new job won't help.

Suddenly, Quinn appeared beside me. "Hi," she said. I looked at her and my knees felt weak. Her caramel blond hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, leaving her heart-shaped face uncovered. Her full lips were pulled back into a smile, her eyes were gleaming with what I thought was excitement, and she had dimples in her cheeks.

"Hey, Quinn with two 'n's! How you doing?" I greeted.

"Good," she replied.

"Not too hungry today," I noticed.

She shook her head. "Oh, not really."

"Here, have some pie. I made it myself." I handed her a slice of cherry pie. I think that's the type of pie she'd prefer.

"Oh, really?" she asked, laughing. I smiled at her in return and our eyes locked for a split-second. Can this actually be happening? Can Quinn actually be laughing at my crappy jokes?

"How do you like the valley so far?" she asked.

"Well, it hasn't been dull," I sighed.

"Was Newark dull?"

I raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know I was from Newark?"

She shrugged, smiling innocently. "I asked."

"Oh, really?" I repeated with the same tone of disbelief that she had used before. Her cheeks turned pink. "You sitting with anybody?"

"With you, if it's okay," Quinn answered.

"Sounds great to me. You want some milk?"

"Yeah, thanks." She looked down at her tray. "Hey, listen. Um, I'm sorry about the soccer tryouts."

"Eh, those are the breaks, y'know."

We started to walk towards the cash register. "Yeah, well, remember that guy you had trouble with on the beach?"

"Oh, yeah, King Karate?"

"Yeah, we do karate together."

Quinn does _karate_? What?! And with Johnny? _What?!_ Mother hugger, why wasn't I informed about this earlier? Now I really stand no chance! I thought that maybe she'd be impressed if I pulled off some kicks or something, but she does them like every single day, _and_ she gets to see Johnny do 'em too. And he's better than me. He's gonna be the one catching her eye instead!

"Well, that's good to know," I shrugged.

_You're a fool if you think that she's ever gonna go out with you._

"What?" I said out loud. "Oh, yeah, you're right." Quinn frowned.

_You're nothing but a fool. You're crazy for even bothering. You're crazy for hanging out with her. King Karate is gonna get her before you_.

"You're right," I agreed with myself. "I know."

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Oh, it's just this little voice," I explained, "telling me I'm kind of a yo-yo to be talking to you right now." She cracked a little smile.

We got to the cash register. "That'll be $2.50," the woman behind the register said.

I decided to be a gentleman. "Oh, wait, for both." Quinn blushed a little more.

"$3.75," the woman corrected. I handed her the money.

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter anyway."

"And why is that?"

"I'm not into him," Quinn answered, walking away.

I frowned a little. "Not into him? Just how much are you 'not into him'?" I asked, catching up to her.

"Let's just say I dislike him."

She walked over to a table. I stood there for a few seconds. "Dislike him? Well, that doesn't help. He certainly doesn't feel that way about you!" I muttered. Then, I went along with her.

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

Daniel was being so cute. He wasn't jealous, was he? I mean, yeah I did karate with Johnny, but it's not like I had a crush on him or anything.

I walked over to a table with Daniel trailing behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Johnny and the Cobras sitting at a table not too far away from us. Johnny was glaring at Daniel for hanging out with me, so I gave him a smirk. I hope he understood that it didn't matter what he thought.

Daniel was coming over to the table I'd chosen. He pulled out my chair for me. I saw Johnny take Bobby's slice of pie. What the hell was he gonna do now?

"You comfy?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah," I replied. Johnny walked towards us with the pie in his hands, and before I could say anything, he placed it on Daniel's chair as he sat down. My mouth was open to tell Daniel not to sit, but it was too late.

Everyone began to laugh. Tommy cackled as the other Cobras got up and joined Johnny in front of our table.

Daniel shot up and then saw the crushed pie on his seat. He gritted his teeth as he picked up the paper plate. I got up too, ready to take Daniel's side if anything happened.

Johnny laughed. "What are you gonna do about it, _hero_?"

"This," Daniel said as he crushed the remainder of the pie onto Johnny's shirt. A couple of kids around us 'ooed' at this.

"Daniel," I warned.

But Daniel didn't listen. Instead, he rammed into Johnny headfirst, pushing him against one of the large columns holding up the roof of the cafeteria. Johnny grabbed Daniel and twisted his arm around in a painful lock.

"Guys, stop it!" I shouted, rushing over to them. Once again, Dutch and Tommy held me back as I struggled to break free from their grasp.

Daniel elbowed Johnny in the stomach, giving him enough time to escape from his hold. But instead of walking away like a smart person would, Daniel punched Johnny in the nose again. What was it with Johnny's nose? Daniel punched him in the nose on the beach, then I punched him in the nose, and then he's getting punched in the nose yet again! I almost felt sorry for him.

Johnny grabbed Daniel's arm and held him in place as he kneed him in the chest. Then, he brought his hand down hard on Daniel's head, knocking him to the ground. Dutch and Tommy were too busy laughing to actually hold me properly, so I pushed them away and then lunged at Johnny. I pinned him to the column and then punched him in the jaw. It wasn't hard, though. Just enough to make him feel sorry for what he did to Daniel. But I realized that he would _never_ feel sorry so I continued to hit him.

Johnny grabbed both of my wrists and held onto them tightly. "Stop it, Quinn! This doesn't concern you! I don't want to fight you."

"It's not always about what you want, you dickhead! Can't you think of what _I_ want too? At least once? Leave Daniel alone! Just leave him alone, Johnny! Can't you at least do that?!"

My eyes flickered to Daniel who was clutching his chest on the floor. He struggled to get up and I yanked my wrists away from Johnny to help Daniel. Johnny didn't make any sort of moves to stop me. He wasn't even smiling anymore.

"I hate you, Johnny," I said. "I hate you with all my heart."

And then Johnny locked his eyes with mine, and I saw that what I said had truly hurt him. That made me feel terrible inside, but I knew I could not show any remorse just as he hadn't shown any remorse for beating up Daniel twice and screwing up his soccer-tryouts. So I broke our gaze and led Daniel out of the cafeteria.


	18. Chapter 18 - Holding Back

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

I parked my Charger in front of the dojo and stormed in. I wasn't the first student to arrive. Johnny and his hooligans were already there, dressed in their gi's along with some other guys. I resented Johnny. I resented him for bullying Daniel like that. But I didn't hate him. And I wish he knew that. I was too harsh on him. Daniel started the fight in the cafeteria, not Johnny. All Johnny did was pull a harmless little prank. But I couldn't admit that I was wrong. Especially not to him.

I got changed quickly and then rolled up the sleeves of my gi until they reached my shoulders. Then, I walked out of the change rooms and joined the rest of the guys. However, I did not utter a word.

Practice was as usual; we had a couple of warm-up matches, then we did some training, and then we had the final combats.

"Mr. Lawrence," Kreese barked. Then, he looked at me. "And Ms. Gray. On the mat, now."

Oh, this was just perfect. I smirked as I shot up to feet. Johnny didn't hesitate either. Good. Now I could whoop his butt and make him pay. I told him he'd be dead today. This was something that he did deserve after what he made Bobby do to Daniel yesterday.

"Bow," Kreese instructed. We did as he told us and then got into our stances.

Johnny struck first. I blocked his roundhouse kick and hit back with a snap kick. It hit his arm, but he didn't even flinch. Instead, he threw a punch, which I dodged. Then, I side-kicked him in the chest. Johnny fell to the ground, but he kipped up and was back into the fight before I even had the time to catch my breath. He dropped down and swung my legs from under me. The impact sent a shock through my whole body, and since my bruises from our first fight weren't fully healed, the pain was worse than it should've been. I countered his hits and jumped back up so that I wouldn't be in such a precarious position.

We kept fighting until I front-kicked him in the jaw. Johnny was on the ground the second after, looking up at me with his icy blue eyes. I didn't want to hit him again, but Kreese had a look on his face that let me know that if I didn't do it, I would have to face serious consequences.

Yet I couldn't hit Johnny again. He was already down and he knew that I'd won the fight. It wasn't fair to continue. So I held out my hand to him. Johnny eyed it for a few seconds, but then he took it, getting up.

Kreese looked furious. "Class dismissed. Mr. Lawrence, stay behind."

Was he in trouble or something? I had no idea. But I knew that I had to find out. So instead of going inside the change rooms like everybody else, I hid behind the wall that separated it from the studio.

"In this dojo, we do not train to be merciful, Mr. Lawrence," Sensei Kreese said. "Mercy is for the weak. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sensei," Johnny replied.

"Then why did you not fight accordingly?"

Johnny sighed. "I don't know, sensei."

"I don't want to see any of that ever again. Got it?"

"Y-yes, sensei."

"Dismissed."

I heard Johnny approaching the change rooms so I dashed inside before he could see me. I went to my bag and began getting changed.

I did have a feeling during the entire match that it was too easy. It shouldn't have been that easy. Only a couple of days ago, Johnny had kicked my butt and beaten me to a pulp. There was no reason as to why that shouldn't have happened now.

Except for one.

Johnny Lawrence held back on me. He knowingly held back on me despite the fact that Kreese did not tolerate mercy. He must've known it would upset him, but he still did it anyways. Why would he do that, though?

I glanced around as I slipped on my jacket. Johnny and his friends were about to leave, and almost all the other guys were gone already. The same question echoed in my mind. Why would he hold back on me? Johnny Lawrence never holds back on anyone. He's supposed to be the top student at the Cobra Kai dojo as well as the Ace-Degenerate of West Valley High. He _doesn't_ hold back.

So then, why did he?

_I think Johnny has a crush on you, _Dean's voice said in my mind.

I was beginning to think that he might be right.

* * *

**Let me know what you guys think should happen next :)**


	19. Chapter 19 - The Jacket

**I am so happy to have finished this chapter. It took me a while, but I managed to get it out. Lately, I've been sort of obsessing over The Outsiders (again), so that's sort of why I haven't been updating in a few days. I try to update every day if possible, but sometimes, I can't. Especially if I'm bawling my eyes out over Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston. Seriously, you have to read The Outsiders or watch the movie because they are so damn good—and sad—that I can't ever get tired of them. I even know most of the lines by heart!**

**With that being said, after I finish this story, I may be starting a new Outsiders fanfic. I don't know. What do you guys think I should do? If you want me to make a story about the Outsiders, leave a review and tell me. It would mean a lot to me.**

**Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to the amazing LumosMoonstone. I really, really love our loooong chats about the Cobra Kai. ;) It's so funny how we end up talking about Bobby and his huge package from the rehearsal footage of the Karate Kid. I hope you enjoy this chapter, honey!**

**'Kay, I'm done with the rambling. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter too :D**

* * *

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

Johnny Lawrence had a crush on me. Johnny Lawrence had a crush on me. Johnny Law—

"Quinn, get out of the shower!" Dean shouted, pounding on the bathroom door. "You're gonna be late for school!"

I groaned and turned off the water. As quickly as I could, I got dressed in a pair of jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt, and then grabbed my backpack and jacket before rushing out the door.

The drive to school was the same; I listened to the radio while the engine hummed quietly in the background. However, there was one slight difference. Today, I had this terribly strong feeling of excitement at the bottom of my gut. Like butterflies, but they weren't exactly butterflies. More like tarantulas crawling inside me with their eight long legs. Johnny Lawrence had a crush on me and I just couldn't believe it. I mean, I eventually got around to believing it last night at around three in the morning when I couldn't fall asleep, but it just seemed so unreal. The guy who beat the crap out of me turned out to actually have the hots for me.

Of course, I didn't actually know whether it was true or not, but from what Dean said and how Johnny had acted yesterday—and the days before—that was the only conclusion I could make. He had a crush on me.

I parked my Charger in the front parking lot and then got out. The Cobra Kai were all standing beside their dirt bikes, wearing the jackets they wore during that beach party. I couldn't help but notice how perfect the color red looked on Johnny. He had that black bandanna tied around his head—the same one that he wears during karate class.

Bobby nudged Johnny with a grin on his face and Johnny turned around to look at me. His lips curled back into a coquettish smirk, and if that's not flirty behavior, then I don't know what is.

But I was still pissed off at him for what he did to Daniel, so I didn't smile back. Instead, I just glared. I heard Tommy guffaw and then groan in what sounded like pain. Too bad I didn't stick around to see him get hurt. That would have been hella funny.

I went to my locker and got my things before getting to class. History with Mr. Harris was extremely boring, but I wasn't gonna complain because none of the Cobra Kai were in my class today. Geography wasn't any better, but again, none of the Cobras were with me. I was grateful for that.

After the last morning class, I went to my locker again to dump all of my things inside and that's when I noticed Daniel walking by. I waved him over, and his face immediately lit up.

"Hey, Quinn-with-two-'n's," he greeted, leaning against the locker beside me.

"Hey, Daniel-with-one-'l'," I replied, grinning.

"What are you doing at lunch?" Daniel asked.

"Well, I was hoping to hang out with you. You up for that?"

Daniel pretended to think about it. "I don't know. I'm gonna have to check my schedule." He pulled out a piece of paper from his binder and then looked it over. "Looks like I'm free," he stated.

I rolled my eyes at him and then they flickered over to the Cobra Kai, who were chilling together beside Johnny's dirt bike. Daniel looked back over his shoulder. Johnny glared at him and then said something to Bobby.

"Just ignore them," I said.

"I'll go to my locker," Daniel sighed, walking away. The look of excitement that he had on his face a couple of seconds ago was completely gone.

"Hey, bring your soccer ball."

He turned around, slightly smirking.

"Why? You up for a game?"

"You know it," I chuckled.

Daniel waved goodbye, even though I'd meet him in the cafeteria. I resumed putting my things in my locker, carefully organizing them just because I wanted to waste a few minutes before leaving.

That's when Bobby walked over to me.

**JOHNNY LAWRENCE'S POV:**

"Come on, Johnny! You gotta make a move on her, man!" Bobby insisted for what seemed to be the billionth time today.

"Yeah, man, what's up with you nowadays? You used to go through chicks like they go through money," Tommy added.

"Maybe he's shooting blanks lately," Dutch wondered.

I slapped his shoulder and glared. "You know that's not gonna happen to me, you nasty prick!" I shouted.

Dutch smirked. "Just a thought, man."

I folded my arms over my chest. "I just don't wanna get her even more pissed off at me. I know that if I just go over there and flirt, she's gonna act like a whore on her period."

The guys snickered. "Like a _whore_ on her period?" Tommy asked.

"Well, look at her flirting with that skinny little twerp!" I exclaimed, even though I knew that Quinn wasn't a whore. She wasn't like that. But that was the best analogy I could come up with.

They all looked at them. That LaRusso kid was looking at a paper and she rolled her eyes, clearly amused at whatever joke he attempted to make. I don't care what she told herself; I know that she must at least be attracted to me in some way. But the way LaRusso made her smile was stomach churning. It made me sick to know that he was making her so happy and so excited instead of me. I should've been the one at her locker, bringing out that grin onto her lips. She'd be so much better off with me. I can give her the world. People would suddenly begin to respect her if she's on my arm instead of his. She could be feared and admired at the same time. Everyone would know that she was _my_ girl. Two Cobra Kai dating would definitely be the talk of the entire school. She'd become popular. Isn't that what chicks want?

"Bobby, you go over there and talk to her," I said.

"Why do you need me to talk to her?"

"Because I need you to apologize for what you did to that LaRusso kid at the tryouts."

The four guys stared at me like I was crazy. "_What_?" Dutch cackled.

I gave him a look. "Are you done?"

He tried to compose himself. "Yeah, man," he choked out.

"I want you to apologize to her because _I_ sure as hell won't."

"Dude, you want her to like _you_ not _me_!" Bobby protested.

"Dude, I'm not gonna tell her that I'm sorry. She's gonna snap at me the way she did before. I don't want to ruin any potential relationship I have with her."

"Apologizing would only increases your chances with her."

"But I'm not gonna do it. Besides, _you_ tripped him."

Bobby groaned. "You had me do it!"

"Doesn't matter. Go. Apologize," I hissed through gritted teeth.

Bobby sighed dramatically and then made his way over to her. I hope to God he doesn't mess up.

**BOBBY BROWN'S POV:**

I walked up to Quinn with my hands in my pockets. She had a blank look on her face, even though she was staring right at me. I leaned against the locker beside hers and then smirked. "Hey," I said, trying to be charming.

"What do you want?" she asked, slightly confused.

I glanced back at Johnny who eyed me cautiously. Then, I turned back to her. "Listen, about what happened on Monday… I just wanted to say that I'm…"

"You're what?"

I braced myself against the locker with my left arm. "I'm sorry for tripping your friend."

"You mean Daniel? You're sorry for tripping him?"

I nodded. God, that left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, but at least I felt a little better knowing that I did what was right.

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me. It's him you should say sorry to."

I raised an eyebrow and then chuckled. "Oh, no, no. Honey, I'd never apologize to him. Are you kidding me? I'm not going to apologize to that punk-ass twerp." That LaRusso kid wasn't gonna get a single 'sorry' from me. He was a sleazeball who was flirting with Johnny's girl. He saw her first. She belongs to him, not that junior man-whore.

Quinn frowned. Oh, shit. I just blew it, man. Johnny was gonna kill me for this. I was about to say something to make her calm down, but at the last second, a grin spread on her lips and she laughed.

"What's so funny?" I asked, straightening up.

"You're so damn vain, Bobby. You're a proud, narcissistic bastard, you know that?"

I didn't take that as an offense. "Well, honey, a man's gotta have _some_ pride and dignity left, right?"

Quinn laughed again. Guess she didn't think I was so bad. "You've got enough pride to last you two lifetimes."

"I guess that'll just make Hell more interesting."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not going to Hell."

"Really? You seem to think that us Cobras are the all-mighty villains of Encino. You probably see us as immoral shitheads who have a personal grudge against your boyfriend, am I right?"

"Okay, listen up, Bobby. Daniel's not my boyfriend. And for the record, I don't think you guys are villains. The immoral shitheads part is true, but you're not villains. You're just corrupted little chipmunks with insane karate skills." Then, she bit her bottom lip. "And nice jackets." She shut her locker. "See you around," Quinn added quickly before leaving. I stayed there for a few seconds, watching as she ran down the corridor. Then, I walked back to Johnny with a huge grin on my face.

"Well?" he asked.

"I apologized and she found it funny. I don't think she's mad about that anymore. Then, she called us immoral shitheads—which _I_ brought up, by the way, so don't get mad at her—and said that we have nice jackets," I told him, wiggling my eyebrows at the last part.

A small smirk spread on Johnny's lips. "Really?"

"Yeah."

We were both thinking the same thing. Tommy eventually caught on.

"Wait," he said. "You're not thinking of…"

"What color do you think she'll like?" Johnny chuckled.

I thought for a minute. "Black. It suits her. She's a tough one."

Johnny grabbed his helmet and got on his dirt bike.

"Where are you going?" Dutch inquired.

"I'm going to Japan, you twit."

He frowned, probably thinking over what Johnny had said. God, the peroxide was getting to his brain.

"He's going to get her a jacket," I explained.

Dutch grimaced. "Like ours? Man, why should _she_ get a jacket?"

"Because she's a Cobra Kai. She's one of us whether you like it or not," Johnny spat, putting on his helmet. "I'll see you guys afterschool."

And he was off.

"Did he just cut class to get Quinn a jacket?" Tommy whispered in disbelief.

"So much for changing his habits," Jimmy sighed. Then, he looked up at me with a coy smile. "Was she nice?"

"Who?"

"Quinn. Was she nice to you?"

"Oh, yeah. She was sweet as can be. Sure, she called me a narcissistic bastard, but hey! Better than having her glare at me, right?"

"Do you think she likes us?"

"What, like digs us or something?" Tommy asked. Once a ladies-man, always a ladies-man. He was always out to get some.

"No, shithead," I groaned. "Jimmy's wondering if she likes us as friends."

Dutch shook her head. "No way, man. Even if she does start to turn mushy on us, I'm not gonna let her come near me."

"Why? You know how much it'd mean to Johnny," Jimmy said.

This made Dutch sigh in frustration. His brows furrowed. "I guess I'd do it for Johnny but… but that doesn't mean squat! Quinn's just like any other bitchy chick. If it weren't for Johnny, I wouldn't even give her a second thought."

We rolled our eyes at him. "We all know you'd bang her if Johnny wasn't so interested," Tommy teased.

"No, I wouldn't, man," Dutch protested. "She's not my type."

"Why? 'Cause she's just as tough as you are? 'Cause she can kick ass?" Jimmy laughed.

"As tough as me? No way, man," Dutch scoffed. "She doesn't come close."

Tommy butted in. "Dutch, we all know you sometimes think with your dick, just like Johnny said. If he wasn't crushing on her so bad, you'd bang her into next year."

"Fuck you," Dutch sneered.

"No thanks, pal."

"You know you'd screw her too, Tommy!"

"Yeah, but then again, I screw every girl."

I cleared my throat. "How 'bout we go to lunch, guys?"

"Yeah, I'm hungry," Jimmy agreed. He and I walked in front while Dutch and Tommy hung back, arguing. I mentally laughed. Of course they would. They're like an old, married couple sometimes.

**DANIEL LARUSSO'S POV:**

After the final bell, I biked home, trying to ignore Johnny's pointed looks. Obviously, he resented me for coming near his girlfriend. I don't care what Quinn said, Johnny already thought of her as his property. It would only be a matter of time before she starts dating him, unless I get to her first. I had to seriously step up my game.

When I got to the complex, I rested my bike against the metal staircase and then ran upstairs to my apartment. Ma had left a note on the fridge saying to meet her at the restaurant she worked in, _Orient Express. _Her _Rocket Computers_ job didn't really work out, but she found another place to ruin her life in. Which sucked, if you asked me, because if she didn't have a job, we would've moved back to Newark.

Eventually, I got to the _Orient Express_ and got off my bike, tying it to a metal pole. I was about to go inside the restaurant when something caught my eye. Right in front of Ma's workplace, there was a karate dojo. It looked fancy and cool with a Cobra painted above the door.

I had to step up my game and this was the perfect way to do it. If I could find a way to get lessons in this place, I could impress Quinn and give Johnny a taste of his own medicine. Just the thought of kicking Johnny in the face made me smile.

I saw Ma cleaning up a table beside one of the restaurant's windows. I tapped on it to get her attention. "Ma!" I shouted, even though I knew she couldn't hear me. "I'm gonna go check that place out. I'll be there in one second."

She agreed, and I crossed the street in a light jog. However, when I opened the door, I was a little surprised.

"Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it?" a man asked.

"No, sensei!" his students responded.

"Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it?"

"No, sensei!"

I glanced around me. There was a large cardboard cutout of the sensei throwing a punch or something. On the wall to my right, there were pictures of students doing high-kicks and all kinds of other cool techniques. There were also trophies and medals lined up near the photo frames. Wow. The guy must be good at teaching his kids if they won so many championships and tournaments.

But what struck me the most was the picture of the sensei wearing an army uniform with a gun in his hands. Captain John Kreese. He was in the U.S. Army from 1970-72, and apparently, he was also a karate champion. Man, if only he could teach me. Maybe Ma would let me go to his classes if I get a job to pay for them myself. This guy's probably gonna ask for a lot of money—money that we do not really have.

Sensei Kreese kept repeating the whole "fear, pain, and defeat does not exist in this dojo" mantra. All of his students were on a white mat, sitting on their legs, chanting after him.

"Prepare!" he said.

The students all shot up.

"What do we study here?"

"The way of the fist, sir!"

"And what is that way?"

"Strike first, strike hard, no mercy, sir!"

"I can't hear you!"

"Strike first, strike hard, no mercy, _sir_!"

I could've sworn to God that one of those voices sounded like a girl's. I could even make out some long locks of caramel hair clipped up messily in the second row from the front. Wait. Caramel hair… this couldn't be Quinn, could it?

The sensei was quiet for a few seconds. "Mr. Lawrence!"

"Yes, sensei!" a voice rang out. A voice that sounded way too familiar.

"Warm them up."

I took a seat next on a light blue bench next to another random guy.

This Lawrence kid got them all to bow to him, and that's when I realized why his voice was so familiar. This Lawrence guy was Johnny. Johnny Motherfucking Lawrence. He looked at me with a mischievous look in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. I groaned silently and looked away. Great. Just great.

My eyes flickered back to him and then to another face that I could see in the mirror. The girl in the second row was indeed Quinn, and she was glaring at Johnny. Then, she looked at my reflection and gave me a small smile to reassure me that everything was okay. But everything was _not _okay. This Johnny prick was training here, right in front of my Ma's restaurant.

"Fighting positions!" Johnny called out. "Jab punch."

That was it. I got up and then walked out the door, only looking back once.

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

After the short but tiring karate lesson, I stormed into the change rooms. I was sick and tired of this. Why couldn't Johnny have ignored Daniel? The look in his eyes said it all. He was gonna do something bad to him. It was guaranteed. I wish he wouldn't but I know he will. There's no changing his mind now.

I took off my gi and slipped on my clothes. Thank goodness for the fact that I was wearing an undershirt and shorts underneath. I don't think I could show my face here again if any of the guys saw me naked.

"Hey, Johnny, did you get it?" I heard Bobby ask.

"Shh," Johnny hissed.

The five Cobras started to whisper amongst themselves. I had no idea what they were talking about, but from the sound of it, it wasn't good. I just wished I knew what Johnny got that was so important. He probably stole some cigarettes or a bottle of liquor or something. Nothing good, anyways.

"How are you gonna do it, man?" Tommy asked.

"Will you pipe the fuck down?" Johnny snapped. They went back to whispering.

That's when Kreese walked in. "Ms. Gray," he said in an austere tone.

I was done dressing and was about to stuff my things in my bag, but I turned around and straightened up.

"Yeah, sensei?"

"Come with me," he said.

I followed him outside the change room. He stopped walking and then spun around, folding his arms across his chest with a cold stare.

"Who was the kid that walked in on our lesson?" he asked.

"Nobody, sensei," I lied.

"I saw the way you smiled at him. Lying doesn't seem like such a good idea to me."

I swallowed hard. "He's just a friend, that's all."

"Is he interested in any lessons?"

"I don't know, sensei. I think he just followed me here or something."

"Well, it looks like he and Mr. Lawrence have a problem between one another."

I furrowed my brows in confusion. How did he know that?

As if he could read my mind, Kreese said, "I'm not oblivious, Gray."

"N-no, sensei."

He lifted his head a little. "Tell them to settle it someplace else. I don't want these school grudges to distract any of my students."

"Yes, sensei."

"You're dismissed."

I bowed slightly and then went back inside to grab my bag. The five Cobras were dangerously close to it, but everything seemed to have been untouched. There was nobody else inside but us six. I guess they all left when I was talking to Kreese. I didn't notice it.

Tommy was smirking, Dutch was grinning, Bobby was smiling a little, and Jimmy looked slightly amused. But Johnny had a look of uncertainty on his face. He turned his head towards me before turning back to his friends and leaving.

I didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, I went to my bag and unzipped it so that I could put everything inside, but I froze right after.

Inside the bag was a black leather jacket that wasn't there before. It was folded up neatly and there was a small white paper tucked inside. I took it out and read the neat handwriting.

_Better than a stinking guitar. Wear it proudly, Cobra Kai._

I stood there dumbfounded for a few minutes. After managing to regain my composure, I slipped the note in the front pocket of my jeans, and picked up the jacket. It was beautifully sewed, soft to the touch, yet it had that rough toughness to it that made it look fit for a badass. There was even a cobra sewed in on the upper right side of the jacket, indicating that only Cobra Kai could wear it.

So I did what I thought was the only thing I could do. I slipped it on. Immediately, the leather molded to my body, hugging me in all the right places. I zipped it up and then looked at my reflection in the mirror.

God, I looked fierce. I looked tough. I looked… I looked like I was truly a Cobra Kai.

Who the hell put this in my bag? They must have done it while I was talking to Kreese. And since the change room was almost empty when I came back—except for Johnny and his friends—it's safe to say that… that maybe one of them put it in.

My first thought was Johnny because he seemed to be the one with a crush on me. But I realized soon after that Bobby was the one who found out that I liked their jackets. He was the one that I had told this to. I'm not saying that he didn't tell Johnny and that Johnny didn't give me the jacket, but this was an act of kindness and Johnny didn't strike me as kind. Bobby, on the other hand, was completely different.

If Bobby gave me this, I had to thank him. If Johnny gave me this… well, I had to thank him too. And then I'd give it back and glare. Because there was no way in hell that I would ever accept something from him. After what he did to Daniel and after breaking my guitar…

_Better than a stinking guitar_. That sounded a whole lot like an apology to me. A fucked up, rude apology, but an apology nonetheless. Sort of like he was paying me back for what he did. Definitely was a sign that Johnny was the one who put the jacket in my bag.

But Bobby was the one that ever apologized to me. He was the one who showed that he was sorry for tripping Daniel, and even though he didn't apologize for interrupting the beach party, I think that the guy felt a shit ton of remorse regarding that too. Maybe he was trying to fix Johnny's actions the way he tried to this morning. Maybe that was it.

But I had to admit; wearing it _did_ make me proud. I looked good, and I'm trying to be modest here. I finally felt like I belonged. I mean, whoever gave me this, must have accepted me as a Cobra Kai. They must've gotten over the awkwardness of having a chick in the dojo. They must've liked me enough.

I didn't take it off. I kept in on as I folded my clothes and stuffed them in my bag. And I even kept it on as I walked out of the dojo. _Wear it proudly_. Oh, I will.


	20. Chapter 20 - Cobra Kai Plans

**Since Tommy and Jimmy and Dutch did not have any last names in the movie (well, they did but we never found out what they were), I decided to come up with my own.**

**- Tommy Hall**

**- Nicholas "Dutch" Dutchman (yeah, his name is Nick :P)**

**- Jimmy Kane**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

**TOMMY HALL'S POV:**

As soon as we were outside the dojo, we gathered beside the stoplight.

"How much did it cost ya?" Dutch asked.

"Why does it matter?" Johnny replied.

"'Cause it'd be a waste if you spend hundreds of dollars on her ass and she ended up throwing it in the trash."

"I don't think she'll be throwing it in the trash," Jimmy assured Johnny. "First off, she doesn't know it's from you–"

Johnny glared at him. "Oh, great. So if she _does_ figure it out, she's bound to detest it, right?"

"I didn't say that," Jimmy shrugged, "but you know you were thinking it."

Johnny huffed and rolled his eyes immaturely. I swear, sometimes, he's the most childish one out of us. And that pisses me off because I made it my point to be the childish one. Great, Johnny. Just steal the spotlight away from me, would ya?

"Man, she could think it was from me," Bobby said to Jimmy. "I mean, _I_ was the one she confessed to."

I stared at him with a pointed look. "Dude, she probably saw Johnny wasn't there in the afternoon, you idiot!"

"What?" Johnny asked, freezing.

"She probably noticed you were gone, dude. Told ya ditching class wouldn't be good." I decided to piss him off a little. Just a bit of payback for acting so immaturely. "But then again, I think she was too engulfed in LaRusso's eyes to notice you were gone."

Johnny laughed and then punched me playfully. This sort of surprised me because I didn't think he'd take it so lightly. "I don't think that twerp will be haunting her thoughts for much longer," he told us. And I guess he was right. The jacket was more badass than anything that little horndog could ever give her.

I shrugged. "Whatever you say, man. Hey, I promised my mom that I'd pick up some milk. Gotta go, 'kay?"

"You're so lame, Tommy," Bobby laughed.

"Shut up," I said. "You know that I have to get on her good side again."

"Yeah, we all remember that party you threw last year," Johnny replied, grinning.

I shuddered and then nodded. "Boy, you should have seen her face when she walked in."

"We were all there," Bobby reminded us.

I frowned. "Oh, yeah. Man, I must have been too shit-faced to realize. I think I forgot that I was the one who threw the party until Mom came home."

"Typical," Bobby sighed.

"Anyways, see you guys later." Johnny and Bobby and I did a little handshake we made up in grade school—that we still use to this day—and then I turned to leave. I was crossing the street, putting on my jacket, when I stopped in my tracks and squinted to see clearer. Was that…? God, it was! Holy sweet hell, it was! Would you look at that? Daniel LaRusso dining at a restaurant with his mommy!

I grinned and glanced back. The guys weren't that far down the street. Oh, they'd be hyped to see this! I'm sure Johnny would certainly be more than happy to teach that little punk a lesson. He deserves it after flirting with Quinn.

I ran after the other Cobras, calling out their names.

"Hey, guys! Johnny! Bobby! Yo, Dutch!" I shouted. "Jimmy, man, turn the fuck around, you deaf broad!"

I reached them and then pointed to the restaurant. "The skinny twerp is in there! I think that's where his mommy works or something."

I led them to the stoplight so that they could get a better glimpse of LaRusso. Johnny was seriously about to storm in there and beat the crap out of him, but then he would get in serious trouble. Couldn't he get locked up for assault or something?

"Hey, man, wait!" I exclaimed, pulling him back. "Ain't that his bike out front?"

"Yeah," Johnny said.

"We can get him when he's biking home. That way, he'll be all alone with no witnesses."

Johnny glanced at me. "You know, I always knew there was a brain hidden somewhere in that head of yours. You're not such a lost cause after all."

I stuck my tongue out at him. Johnny patted my shoulder.

"Come on, let's go!" He pushed Bobby and I in front of him and then ran after us. "That twerp is gonna get it so bad, he'll wish he never laid eyes on Quinn."

Bobby sort of trailed behind for a few seconds, still looking at LaRusso and his fine-ass mom. She was pretty, I gotta give her that. Although, I don't know how an ugly kid like him could pop out of her va–

"Hey, Bobby, let's go!" Jimmy yelled. "What are you waiting for?"

Bobby snapped his head away from the window and then ran after us. I seriously hope he wasn't gonna back out on us. What kind of friend would do that?


	21. Chapter 21 - The Arcade

**DANIEL LARUSSO'S POV:**

I was biking home, trying to get rid of that Johnny's hate-filled smirk that was still burned in my memory. Seriously, I saw it every time I blinked. It was annoying and it pissed me off. I knew that he wasn't gonna let me off that easily. He was probably pissed off at me for even thinking of doing karate to defend myself against him. Stupid bastard.

I was on top of a hill now, and I couldn't help but notice just how silent everything was. It was almost a perfect night. Almost. But lately, anytime something came close to being perfect, it was always ruined.

So I guess it wasn't really too big of a surprise to hear the rumbling of dirt bikes behind me. I glanced back and saw Johnny and his little gang racing after me. I don't know why I even bothered to pedal faster; they were gonna catch up to me anyway. But my feet kept pushing, and I kept hoping that maybe one of them will have an accident or something.

"Looking for a shortcut back to Newark, Daniel?" one of them shouted.

They surrounded me with their bikes and I knew that there was no way to escape them.

"Come on, guys, he wants to learn karate!" Johnny teased. "Well, here's your first lesson: How to take a fall!"

They were pushing me closer to the edge of the hill. God, were they trying to get me to fall over or something? That could kill me! "Hey, what are you doing?" I shrieked, panic filling my voice.

"Don't think about the pain!" the first guy exclaimed.

I lost control of my bike and flipped forward over the edge. They rode away laughing, while I stumbled down, rolling over several times before actually landing at the bottom. The right side of my forehead was stinging badly. I breathed in heavily a few times, realizing that I wasn't dead yet. Still, I couldn't believe that they would actually do this to me. What if I had hit my head on a sharp rock and died, huh? What would they have done then? Would it have been classified as manslaughter? Maybe criminally negligent manslaughter. I think that's what this would have been if I had died.

These idiots stooped so low as to push me off a hill. They seriously wanted me to stop trying to win Quinn over. They would do anything to get me to give up and call it a day. Were they really that merciless?

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

I sat at my desk, trying to finish the last set of geometry problems my teacher gave me for homework. I was half-way through the last question when the phone rang. Dean was out at the moment, so I knew I had to get up, walk downstairs, and answer the freaking phone. To be truthful, I was lazy. I was too lazy to do it.

When I picked up the receive and muttered a "hello", I was surprised to hear the voice on the other line.

"Hey, Quinn!" a guy exclaimed.

"Bobby? Bobby, how did you get my number?"

"I asked Susan for it. Anyways, that doesn't matter much." Laughter echoed from the other end of the line. "Would you two shut the fuck up for once?" he shouted. "I'm on the God damn phone!" Bobby cleared his throat. "Sorry 'bout that. So, I was gonna ask you if you wanted to come to the Arcade with us tomorrow."

"Who the hell is _'us'_?" I asked.

"The Cobras and I," he explained. "And Susan and Barbara, I guess. They begged us to come along. I think they've both got a thing for Tommy, but don't tell them I said anything because they're probably gonna get super pissed."

I tried to suppress a smile. "Who told you to call me?"

"What?"

"Who set you up for this?"

"No one, Quinn. I'm offended by this. Aren't I allowed to ask you to chill with me?"

I sighed. "So Johnny didn't tell you to invite me too?"

"No, but he would've called you himself if I hadn't grabbed the receiver first."

That made me freeze. "He would've?"

"Yeah." Laughter was heard again. "Cut it out, you two! I swear to God, I'm gonna kick your asses all the way to Russia if you don't stop!" He exhaled in frustration. "Anyways, we're going after school tomorrow. It'll be fun, Quinn. Besides, you'll disappoint a lot of people if you don't show."

"Oh, really?" I raised an eyebrow. "And who might those people be?"

"Me, Susan, Barbara, Johnny…" His voice trailed off.

"Johnny?"

"Yeah, he's pretty hyped about you being there."

I struggled to remember how to breathe. "Sure, sure. I'll come."

"Great!" he beamed.

"See ya tomorrow."

I hung up and leaned back against the wall, grinning like an idiot. I don't know why I was so excited and happy, but I was and I couldn't do anything about it. I went back up to my room.

* * *

The next day after classes, I was walking towards the front parking lot with Barbara and Susan. They were so very excited about the fact that they were gonna spend an afternoon with the Cobra Kai. I had tried to look a little more sophisticated than usual. This morning, I got dressed in a pair of really, _really_ tight black denim pants and a light blue button-up blouse that had rolled up sleeves. It wasn't girly, but I was sure that the Cobras would notice I'd tried to look better—Johnny would notice I'd tried to look better—just for today.

Barbara was yapping about how Tommy supposedly asked her to join him and the guys at the Arcade. I tried to keep myself from laughing. That's so not what Bobby said. And between you and I, Bobby was trustworthier. I could tell that Susan wasn't buying her story either, but then again, she always had that look of disbelief on her face. Oh, well, it was entertaining to watch and hear.

"I'll tell you everything he said," Barbara told me.

"You'd better," I replied, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

"Alright, see ya," she chuckled, walking inside a classroom. She said she needed to get some papers from the teacher before joining us, so Susan and I offered to wait in the parking lot for her. I had that sudden urge to leave without her, just to get her back for lying to my face and thinking she'll get away with it. But I decided against that. There was no reason to get angry over something as worthless as this.

Someone tapped my right shoulder. However, I looked over my left shoulder and saw Daniel. "Hey," he greeted with a smile.

"Hi!" I exclaimed, blushing a little.

"How you doing?" he asked, putting his backpack on.

"I'm good." Then I frowned. "What the hell happened to your forehead?"

"Oh, it's terrible!" he moaned. "A gigantic, runaway zit!"

I laughed, but Susan—being the bitch that she is—sneered at him. "That's gross," she pointed out. Bitch, that was funny. Shut the hell up.

"Daniel, this is Susan," I said.

"Hi."

"Charmed," Susan replied with a look of plain boredom on her face. I glared at her but then my face softened when I looked back up at Daniel.

"Come on, Daniel. What really happened?"

"I got in a bike accident, but I'm okay."

Bike accident? Why did I not believe him? Why did I get the feeling that Johnny had something to do with this?

As soon as Susan heard the word _bike_, her face lit up. "What kind do you have, Daniel? A Honda? Suzuki?" Gold-digging whore.

"Uh, no, it's a… like a Miyagi Turbo, actually."

"Oh, really?" she said, putting on her infamous look of disbelief again.

"Hey, Susan what's your problem?" I snapped. "Lay off with the sarcasm and the hostile attitude. Got it?"

We stopped walking now and Susan had a look of genuine fear in her eyes. "I-I didn't mean to–"

"I don't give a shit what you meant or did not mean to do. If I punch you in the face, will it be okay simply because I didn't mean to?"

Susan straightened up. "I don't know what your problem is–"

"My problem is that you're being a downright bitch to a guy you don't even know." I grabbed Daniel's arm and pulled him away, walking faster to put some distance in between Susan and I. "Sorry about that."

"Oh, it's no problem."

"So, I got something to ask ya."

"Shoot."

"Do you wanna come to the Arcade with me?"

His eyes gleamed. "Yeah, sure! Sounds great to me."

"Apparently, they've got this new game. Maybe we could try it out together."

Daniel smiled, but then he looked ahead and all of his happiness vanished from his face. I glanced in the direction he was staring at and saw Johnny and the Cobras near his dirt bike. God, why was he so scared of them? Did they do something to him again? He didn't seem scared yesterday. More like angry, but definitely not scared. What the fuck was he not telling me?

"I just remembered, I-I-I forgot something. I'll catch up with you guys in a minute, okay?"

He turned to leave.

"Daniel!" I called out. "You don't have to run away."

That sort of pissed him off a little bit. "I'm not running away from anything!" he lied.

"Look, we have to deal with this. And we can deal with it together!"

Daniel looked really upset. "You deal with it your way and I'll deal with it my way, okay? See ya, I gotta go."

"But, Daniel–"

"Get off my case!" he yelled before storming off.

I stood there, completely shocked. All I did was try to help him and he raises his voice at me as if _I_ was the one bullying him? I tried to get the Cobras to leave him alone, I tried to defend him every time I could, I even made Freddy and his friends stop with the teasing and tormenting, and _this_ is the thanks I get? I'm the only God damn person that he could fucking depend on and now he just blows me away like I'm nothing? Like I don't matter?

I pursed my lips and then began to walk towards the parking lot, brushing past Susan. She had a smirk on her face. Stupid cunt.

When I reached the Cobra Kai, Bobby straightened up. "You came," he said, grinning.

"Of course. Wouldn't miss this for the world."

All I wanted to do right now is to take my mind off Daniel. I took my backpack off and then took out my Cobra Kai jacket. Then, I slipped it on and swung my backpack pack on my shoulder.

"Where'd you get the jacket?" Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A friend," I replied, smiling. "A friend who does karate."

"Clearly."

Bobby handed me a helmet. "Here ya go, _Cobra Kai_."

"Thanks," I said, putting it on and climbing up on his dirt bike behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and then grinned when I saw Johnny grit his teeth. Thank God he wouldn't realize how much I enjoyed seeing him like this. It was cute to know that he got jealous.

"Let's roll," Bobby said before we rode away.

* * *

When we got to the Arcade, I hopped off Bobby's bike and handed him my helmet. He placed it on the leather seat and then smiled at me. "Excited?" he asked.

"Yeah. I need to get my mind off–" I stopped myself from saying anything else.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," I shrugged. "Let's just go."

The Cobras and I walked inside the Arcade and went straight to playing games. Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed Johnny laughing beside Dutch, trying hard to even out his breaths. Dutch kept talking with some obscene and suggestive hand gestures, and Johnny was starting to laugh so hard that almost no noise came out. I couldn't help but notice how cute he was. I haven't really paid much attention to him before, but I now realized that Johnny had perfectly straight teeth and soft-looking lips and the way his blond hair fell in his eyes only made him look even more attractive.

Johnny walked over in my area to play some games with Dutch, so I decided to just ignore him for now and not seem the least bit interested. I went over to a skeet shooting game and grabbed the gun from the metal holder. I mounted it with the stock on my arm and lifted my head a little. Then I shot at the electronic birds on the large screen a few times, but missed.

Someone cleared their throat beside me. I looked up and saw Johnny leaning against the metal holder with his arms folded across his chest. "You should mount your gun in your shoulder. If you were to ever shoot a gun in real life and mount it with the bottom of the stock on your arm, the recoil would give you serious bruises," he explained.

I raised an eyebrow. "And how do _you_ know all this?"

Johnny shrugged. "I went shooting with Dutch a couple of times. His dad owns a skeet field outside of L. A."

I was impressed. "Good to know you can kick ass _and _shoot people. I'll watch my back."

Johnny chuckled and then advanced towards me. "Don't ever lift your head when shooting. If you do, you'll lose sight of the target and–"

"Johnny?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up and show me," I demanded. Johnny bit his bottom lip and then hesitantly wrapped his arms around mine, positioning the gun properly. His chest was slightly pressed against my back, and our bodies were lined perfectly with each other, fitting together like two puzzle pieces. He smelled like sandalwood and vanilla. I couldn't help but notice that. I also couldn't help but notice how good this felt. Johnny's arms around me, his warm breath on my neck, the soft smell of his cologne… if I really wanted to, I could turn my head around and kiss him. I could do it, you know.

And I wanted to. But I didn't because just when I mustered up enough courage, Johnny pulled away.

"That should do it," he said. "Try it now."

I reluctantly did as I was told and hit each and every bird. "Thanks," I told him.

"You're welcome."

He held my gaze for a moment and then walked off. I put the gun back in the holder and sighed. What am I doing?


	22. Chapter 22 - He Likes Me, She Likes Me

**For those of you who like The Outsiders, check out my other story. :) It would mean a lot to me.**

**Enjoy XD**

* * *

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

Okay, I admit it; I knew exactly what to do with the plastic gun. I knew exactly how to mount it and how to hold it, but I just wanted Johnny to show me. I knew he would if I asked him to. I knew he wouldn't pass that up.

After Bobby dropped me off at home, I went into the kitchen to get a glass of milk. Dean wasn't home yet; he must have been off at work or something. I wanted to call Daniel and try to get him to stop being mad at me, but I realized that I didn't know his number. Maybe Freddy has it or something. However, the thought of speaking to Freddy made my skin crawl. I hated the bastard.

So, I just went upstairs to finish my homework.

Daniel didn't talk to me in the days that followed. I saw him at his locker sometimes, but he always managed to run away before I could approach him. He didn't even look at me or smile or do anything of the sort. No. He acted as if I didn't exist.

And it killed me on the inside.

I didn't want him to be mad at me. He's my friend after all. Or he was.

At lunch, I sat with the Cobra Kai. It seemed as if whatever problems Johnny and I had disappeared. I found myself able to joke around with him every once in a while. He wasn't acting like an idiot, to my grand surprise. Actually, Tommy was being the idiot, but I guess it's in his DNA or something, so I didn't really give any thought to it.

It was the end of the second week of September and I was already being bombarded with homework. I was in my English class when the teacher assigned us a project.

"You're all going to be paired up for this," he explained. "Each of you will write your own essay about the novel we read together in class this week, but you will also have to present one of the main ideas in the book with your partner."

I raised my hand. "How long should the essay be?"

The teacher shrugged. "About seven to ten pages."

I nodded. The book we were reading was_ The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_. One of my favorite novels in the world, by the way. I had done an essay on this book in my junior year in Oregon, so I wondered if it would be classified as cheating to copy off some of my ideas from my previous assignment. I'd gotten a B+ last time, so maybe if I work hard enough, I'll bump it up to an A this year.

"…Fernandez and Quincy, Sutherland and James, Lawrence and Gray…"

My chest was about to explode. I glanced at Johnny and he gave me a small smile. Lord, oh, Lord. _YES_!

"This is due on Monday," the teacher said, "so you have the entire weekend to get together and work on it."

The bell rang and as I was getting my stuff, Johnny walked over to me.

"So, we've got karate after school," he reminded me. "But after that, do you wanna come over or something?"

"How about _you_ come over? I sort of have to make dinner for my brother 'cause he comes home really late."

Johnny bit his lip. "Sure."

Our karate lesson was really tiring today. My body was aching badly by the time we were done. I seriously hated being tortured like this, but I guess it was just a wake-up call for me, saying that I needed to practice a lot more. I slipped on my Cobra Kai jacket once Johnny and I got outside. I still haven't figured out who gave it to me. I mean, it could've been any one of the Cobra Kai, but I had no idea who it was. I tried telling myself that it didn't really matter, but of course it did. It mattered a lot.

Johnny offered me a ride home on his dirt bike, and I accepted because who the hell would refuse a free ride home and choose to walk all the way? Especially if the guy offering you the ride has been nothing but nice to you the whole time?

Eventually, he and I reached my house, and we both stepped in. I led him inside the living room, and he took a seat on the couch.

"You want anything to eat?" I asked, going inside the kitchen. I rummaged through the fridge.

"No, thanks," he said.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed two cokes from the fridge before digging through the cupboards above the counters for some chips. Shit, we were out of chips. Screw my brother and his movie nights. I settled on a package of chocolate chip cookies.

"I said I wasn't hungry," Johnny told me as I took a seat next to him, placing the coke and cookies in front of him.

"You just had two hours of karate right after six boring hours of school. You need food. Now."

I opened the package of cookies and stuffed one in his mouth. Johnny tried to fight off a grin as he chewed it.

"There. Isn't that better?"

"Shut up. Let's get to work."

We began to brainstorm ideas for our presentation and then he picked up a notebook and started to write down some ideas. I didn't really look at what he was scribbling down on the paper; I was actually skimming through the book to find some overlooked main points.

But when I did take a quick peek at Johnny was writing, my heart skipped a beat.

His writing… Goddamn it, I recognized it. The way his letters slanted to the left, the way his T's and H's and L's were lengthier than the rest of his letters, the way his A's and O's were perfectly rounded, the way his words were all in a straight line…

"I'll be right back," I breathed out before sprinting up the stairs. Once I got to my room, I went straight to my desk and looked around until I found the small slip of paper that was tucked inside the black Cobra Kai jacket. I looked it over, but there was no doubt. The neat handwriting on this paper was the same as Johnny's.

So Johnny was the one that gave me the jacket. He was the one that placed it in my bag at the dojo while I was talking to Kreese.

A grin spread on my face. Johnny Lawrence really liked me. He really, _really_ liked me.

And I think I liked him back.

I slowly went back downstairs, clutching the small slip of paper in my hand. I sat down again next to Johnny and then cleared my throat.

"Johnny?"

He raised his head to look at me. "Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

He shrugged and smiled. "Go ahead."

I placed the slip of paper on top of his notebook. "You gave me the jacket, didn't you?"

Johnny clicked his tongue and then nodded. "Yeah. I did. Guess that means you won't wear it anymore, huh?"

I frowned. "Why the hell would you say that?"

"Because it's from me. You and I both know you're not that fond of me after what I did to your boyfriend."

"Look, Johnny, he's not my boyfriend. In case you haven't noticed, Daniel and I haven't talked all week. And so what if it's from you? I still like it nonetheless."

Johnny's eyes widened slightly. "You're kidding, right?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

"No."

"Exactly." I bit my lip. "Thank you, Johnny. I… it's… it's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."

He snorted. "Bullshit."

I chuckled. "It's true. And I don't really give a shit if you believe it or not. But thanks for the jacket anyways."

Johnny smirked. "You're welcome."

I smirked too. "About my guitar…"

He groaned. "Quinn, don't bring that up now!"

"You ruined it."

"I got you the jacket, okay? Shouldn't that make up for it?"

"And what about an apology?"

Johnny pointed to the paper. "This was supposed to be the apology."

"Really? 'Cause it didn't seem too sincere to me."

"Quinn."

"Johnny."

"What the hell do you want from me?"

"A 'sorry'."

"You ain't getting that."

I laughed and leaned in closer. "It's not like I'm asking you to be nice to Daniel. All I want is for you to say 'sorry' for ruining my guitar."

His face was so close to mine that if he leaned in too, our lips would meet. His eyes flickered down to my mouth, and I'm pretty sure he wanted to kiss me too.

"I don't like apologizing," he whispered.

"Me neither."

Johnny grinned. "We think alike, huh?"

"Yeah."

He started to lean in slowly, and just as our lips were about to touch, the door opened. We shot apart from each other, retreating to our sides of the couch. Dean walked in, taking off his jacket and throwing it on an armchair.

"Hey, Quinn!" he exclaimed. Then, he saw Johnny. "Hey, random guy who's sitting in my living room! Quinn, can I talk to you in the kitchen?"

I nodded and then glanced at Johnny before following Dean. We both sat down across from each other at the kitchen table. Dean spoke in a low, quiet voice.

"Who is he?"

"Johnny Lawrence," I answered, simply.

Dean grinned. "The guy who has a crush on you?"

"I told you, I don't think he has a crush on me," I lied.

"Oh, really? Then why were you two about to kiss when I walked in through the door?"

"We weren't about to kiss. We were just talking."

"Talking with your lips an inch from each other. Right. Definitely. Just talking."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Dean."

"Do you like him?"

I froze. "That is so none of your business."

"Aw, come on, I can keep a secret. Do you like him?"

"Dean, stay out of this."

"Quinn, tell me!" he begged. "Tell me, please!"

I huffed and got up. "Leave me alone, Dean."

He shot up too and grabbed my arm.

"You can't keep lying to yourself. You have to admit that you–"

"Alright, fine! I like Johnny, okay?"

Dean stared at me for a few seconds before bursting into a fit of laughter. I glared at him and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Wow, Dean. Thanks."

"I can't believe it! I was right!"

"God, you're worse than a five year old. Would you keep your voice down?"

He fake-sniffled. "My little sister is all grown up!"

I walked back inside the living room and found Johnny packing his things. "Johnny? Where are you going?"

He looked up at me. "I just remembered that Mom's having some friends over and she wanted them to meet me," he said, opening the door. "I'll see you later."

"Wait, Johnny!" I ran after him. "We didn't even finish our presentation."

"You write your essay, I'll write mine, and then we can wing it on Monday."

Johnny walked down the front steps and went to his bike. "See ya later, Quinn." Then, he rode away.

**JOHNNY LAWRENCE'S POV:**

Sweet mother of God, I can't believe it. Quinn Gray likes me back.


	23. Chapter 23 - Blinding Tears

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

September was soon over, and I hadn't talked to Johnny ever since that little incident on my couch. We almost kissed. _Almost_ kissed. It would've happened if Dean hadn't walked in—and I was pretty pissed that he did. Johnny Lawrence and I had something between us, and no matter how much I tried to deny it late at night, I knew it was true. Daniel was no longer the only person I was attracted to. Actually, I think I was attracted to Johnny before I met Daniel. I didn't want to admit it to myself but it was true. I was crushing on Johnny ever since I met him.

It was okay to be attracted to more than one person, right? I mean, it was fine as long as you didn't lead them on. It was fine as long as you didn't try to get involved with both. Innocent little crushes, that's what they were. That's what they'll ever be. Unless I made a move.

Both Daniel and Johnny barely talked to me anymore. Johnny had stopped picking on Daniel, much to my surprise. Sure, he'd call him a twerp if Daniel ran into him in the hallways, but Daniel no longer had bruises or wounds on his face. He seemed to be okay. The rest of the Cobras were a bit hesitant about not bullying Daniel, but they did whatever Johnny did, and they stopped picking on him as well.

Bobby was really the only person I talked to during our karate class. He and I would joke around when Kreese wasn't looking—he'd make a few faces at me and I'd grimace back—and we sometimes chilled together after school. He took me out for ice cream a few times, and this had earned him a shit ton of glares from Johnny. I knew Johnny was jealous; there was no doubt. I knew that he liked me, but what annoyed me the most was the fact that he wasn't even trying to get me. It's like he just gave up. It's like he didn't care anymore.

But I knew he did.

The first week of October was soon over as well, and on that boring Friday afternoon, I had a karate class to go to. Karate class always made my day, mainly because I found myself staring at Johnny most of the time. I couldn't help it; he was gorgeous. His light blond hair and cerulean eyes made him look like a freaking Greek god or something. Like Apollo, I think. Didn't he have blond hair and blue eyes too? It didn't really matter. Johnny was much more handsome than Apollo.

Kreese paired everybody up and then made us practice a couple of new moves together. Johnny and I were partnered up, and I had to admit that I was very content with that. However, my good mood was ruined when Johnny didn't speak to me whatsoever.

I glanced at Bobby and Tommy. They were also paired up and they were laughing their heads off. Dutch and a random guy were also partners, and they were talking as well. Heck, even Jimmy, the quietest Cobra Kai, was joking around with the person he was paired up with. But Johnny didn't utter a word to me.

"So, how have you been?" I asked, trying to make some polite conversation.

Johnny shrugged.

"Will the soccer team have a game this weekend?" I continued. They had one last weekend and they won, so my guess was that they were going to play against another school to advance even further in their placement.

He shrugged again.

"Well, if you are, I'm rooting for you."

Another shrug.

I tried not to seem too hurt at the fact that he didn't want to talk to me. Maybe I scared him off by nearly kissing him. Maybe that's the reason why he didn't want to have anything to do with me. Maybe I just ruined all my chances with him.

When practice ended, I got changed as quickly as I could and then nearly ran out of the dojo. I got into my Charger and didn't stop driving until I got home. Tears were welling up in my eyes, sort of blinding me. I knew it wasn't safe for me to drive like that—I might as well have been drunk—but I couldn't have given a crap at that point.

I parked the Charger in the driveway and ran inside, slamming the door shut behind me. I was about to sprint up the stairs when a pair of arms caught me. I didn't even realize that I was crying until I began thrashing around, screaming. It was very immature of me. I must have looked like a five-year old throwing a huge tantrum.

"Shh, Quinn, it's just me," Dean whispered, pulling me close. I stopped fighting and pressed my cheek against his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "What happened?" he asked, gently running his hands through my hair.

"I wanna quit," I croaked.

"Quit what?"

"Karate."

"But you're so good at it," he protested.

"That don't mean squat! Johnny Lawrence doesn't like me."

Dean chuckled. "And _that's_ why you don't wanna do karate anymore?"

I nodded and looked up at him. "Please don't make me go back."

"Sit down," he said, making me take a seat on one of the steps. I groaned and obliged. "Tell me what happened."

"Well, remember when Johnny came over and we were on the couch and then you walked in?"

"Yeah."

"We almost kissed." I wiped the tears away from my face. "And Goddamn it, he had a freaking crush on me! But now he won't even look at me in the hallways or smirk or flirt the way he used to. And he didn't even talk to me during karate even though we were paired up and I tried to make conversation and-"

"Calm down, Quinn!" Dean exclaimed.

I took in a deep breath. "The point is, he doesn't like me back and I don't want to keep embarrassing myself in front of him by chasing after something I can't have."

"So then chase after something you _can_ have."

I frowned. "What?"

"If Johnny doesn't want to date you, then that's his loss. Find someone who _does_ want to date you."

"Yeah, but it's not like anyone else wants date me."

"That Daniel kid would."

I huffed. "No, thanks."

"I thought you liked him."

"I do. I just… he acted like a jerk to me when I tried to convince him to let me help him stand up to Johnny."

Dean laughed. "God, girls are weird. Obviously, Daniel was just trying to show you that he can take care of himself. Aren't girls supposed to like that in a guy?"

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing." Dean got up and started to walk up the stairs. "Daniel took many beatings for you. The least you can two can do is be friends."

I sat there until I heard Dean's bedroom door close. He was right. Daniel took a whole lot of beatings for me. He got his ass whooped at the beach party, got kicked off the soccer team, got beat up yet again in the cafeteria, got pushed off a hill… Dear Lord, now that I think about it, Daniel must have crushed hard on me to go through all that.

I smiled a little. Maybe Dean was right. Maybe Daniel was better for me. After all, who needs Johnny Lawrence?


	24. Chapter 24 - Halloween (Part 1)

**So, I changed up the dates in this chapter. Halloween was supposed to be on a Wednesday in 1984, but in the movie, it looked like it was on a Friday because the next day—which should have been a school day—Mr. Miyagi and Daniel went to the Cobra Kai dojo at ten o'clock in the morning. Naturally, it must've been a Saturday because I don't think Mrs. LaRusso would let Daniel ditch school to go to some karate dojo that she knew she couldn't afford. Hence, the dance happens on a Friday in the story.**

**Enjoy :)**

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

Halloween was just around the corner, and let me tell just how much I hate this holiday. First of all, I hate the costumes and the stupid masks and the heavy makeup people are allowed to wear once a year without being considered idiotic. Well, some might be considered idiotic, but they manage to pass because of the fact that being an idiot is part of the holiday's purpose.

Second, I hated how kids went around to random strangers' houses and beseeched for sweets. It's like they're asking to be drugged. Who the hell knows what chemicals and substances are found in that so-called "candy"? It's stupid. Why would any parent put their children at risk like that?

Third, I didn't have a date for the Halloween dance. Yeah—I know. Stupid reason for not liking Halloween. But it's true. Normally, I'd have someone to go with of the opposite gender, regardless of the fact that we were only going as friends. But this year, I felt like I had lost all my sex-appeal and couldn't attract anybody. Heck, even Susan had been asked by seven guys and she still couldn't make up her mind on which guy she'd go with! And no offence to Susan, but she wasn't exactly the prettiest chick in school. Not saying I am either, but I do have a nicer body. It comes from all the karate I do. And it should've been enough to get _someone_ to drop a hint that they'd want to go with me.

Susan strutted out of the fitting room clad in a very short and provocative red dress with devil's horns on her head. She posed and then grinned.

"Whaddya think?" she asked me.

I wanted to puke. Her legs were _not_ toned, her body was _not_ lean, and she really shouldn't be allowed to wear such dresses without pepper-spraying everybody in the eyes first. But Goddamn, she still looked good and it intimidated me. So, I shook my head.

"Honey, are you going to a brothel or a high-school dance? Take your pick."

Susan huffed and then went back to change. Thank God. I couldn't have her be hotter than me at this dance. What if Johnny decided to suddenly get a boner from her? That would kill me. Or what if Daniel fell head over heels in love with her and completely forgot about me? That would kill me too. No, I had to look better than every other girl there. I had to find the perfect costume and make Johnny and Daniel regret for not asking me to the dance. I just had to.

So far, we'd been to five different stores and Susan still hadn't found anything good. I didn't care about that. My main problem was that _I_ hadn't found anything good. Nothing was sexy enough.

Eventually, after thirty more minutes, Susan settled on a rocker-style purple leopard-like costume. It didn't look hot, so I gave her a thumbs-up. If she liked it, I was fine with it. Thank God it wasn't sexy.

"Are _you_ gonna buy anything?" Susan said as she paid for the costume at the cash register.

"Nah. I haven't found anything yet."

"Well make up your mind because the dance is in two days."

"Oh, hush. I'll find something."

I dropped her off at her house and then went home myself. When I got to my room, I began to dig through my closet for something that I could change up into a Halloween costume of some sort. I considered wearing my karate-gi to the dance, but that wasn't much of a Halloween costume. Besides, it wasn't hot, and it would look pretty freaking pathetic if I showed up like that. Johnny would sure laugh at me.

My eyes wandered over to a long, black, leathery dress stuffed in the back of my closet. I didn't remember buying it so I guess Dean must have bought it for me. I took it out and looked it over. Yeah. I definitely didn't buy it. It was so not my style.

I wanted to throw it out but then I suddenly got an idea. All I needed was a pair of scissors and some thread… that was really all I needed to turn this into something… enthralling.

Forty-five minutes later, I stood in front of the mirror, dressed in one of the most amazing costumes I'd ever seen in my life and I remember thinking to myself, "If this doesn't make Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso get a hard-on when they lay their eyes on me, then my name ain't Quinn Gray."

**DANIEL LARUSSO'S POV:**

That's it. No more beating around the bush. I'm gonna ask Quinn to the dance today and that will be the end of it. I won't be spending any more sleepless nights thinking about her soft lips on mine or her perfectly toned arms around my neck. I'm gonna ask her to go with me to the dance and then when we'd be slowdancing on the floor, I'm gonna kiss her and ask her to be my girlfriend.

Quinn had volunteered to help set up the gym afterschool for tomorrow. Thursdays were always my luckiest days. I don't know why, but they were. And today was a Thursday, which meant that nothing could go wrong. I've flirted with her before—this shouldn't be hard for me anymore.

I was about to walk in the gym when I saw Quinn smiling and laughing with Susan and that other blonde friend. She was blowing up some balloons, showing off her perfect teeth every time she grinned, and I thought to myself, "This is it."

Unfortunately, the devil himself was there as well. He was with his little Cobra Kai friends, goofing off and having a good time. The worst part of it was that he was pretty close to where Quinn was standing. I knew I stood no chance as long as he was there. Johnny Lawrence would always find a way to screw me over and to embarrass me.

Tears welled up. Why can't anything go my way for once? Why couldn't Johnny have had karate practice or something? Why did he have to be here in the same room as Quinn when I'd planned on asking her out to the dance?

I turned and left. Thursdays were no longer my luckiest days.

**JOHNNY LAWRENCE'S POV:**

I'm an idiot for not talking to Quinn, but the truth is that I'm scared. Yeah, the infamous Johnny Lawrence is scared. I was scared that I'd say something stupid and fuck up and make her not like me anymore. I was scared of acting like a total fool in front of her. I'd been so smooth all this time because I didn't think she'd like me back so it was okay to be stupid because it wouldn't matter. But now, I was a nervous wreck whenever she was nearby.

I watched her with my Walkman playing some Elvis in my ears, but I couldn't even hear the words to his song because all my attention was focused on Quinn. She was laughing hard about something that Susan had said. Her eyes glittered with excitement and happiness and I knew that if I went up to her and talked to her, I might screw it all up and ruin everything.

I even stopped beating LaRusso up for her. Just because she hated to see him in pain. If LaRusso would've talked to her, I would've let him and said nothing because she cared about him and because she clearly wanted to be his friend. But LaRusso was nothing but a chicken—thank God—so he didn't talk to her at all. It hurt me to see her heartbroken every time he passed her in the hallways and didn't even look her way. It hurt me so much that I considered threatening him into flirting with her again just so that I could see her smile and be happy. But I was glad that he didn't talk to her because if he had, he might've won her over and then where would I be? He had that charm that I could never get. He didn't even try to be funny—he just was. I flirted with girls by winking at them and being very sexual, while LaRusso flirted with them by smiling and laughing and cracking jokes. Well, Quinn was the only girl I'd actually seen him flirt with but that was enough to make me figure out what his technique was.

_Go talk to her_, I told myself. But my legs were frozen in place. All I could do was stare.

Eventually the Cobras snapped me away from my train of thoughts.

"Hey, check it out!" Dutch said, grabbing a few plastic skulls and bones from a table. "I got an idea for our Halloween costume, guys!"

"What's that?" Bobby asked, cutting out a strip of orange hanging paper to put up around the gym.

"Let's all go as skeletons."

We all decided that was a great idea. First of all, going to the dance in the same costume showed we were a team. It showed that we stuck together no matter what. It showed we were united. Second, going as skeletons was perfect. We were scary, evil little bastards, and our costumes would prove it.

Dutch handed me a skeleton leg, wiggling it around like a nutcase. I took it from his hands and we sort of had a skeleton leg war. Basically, we whacked each other with plastic skeleton legs until one of the teachers supervising us looked in our direction. We gave him a small smile and then laughed when he looked away.

"So, Johnny," Tommy began, grinning. "Who are you takin' to the dance, huh?"

"No one," I shrugged.

Dutch mock-gasped. "No one? _No one?_ Not even Quinn Gray?"

"She ain't interested."

"How the hell do _you_ know?" Tommy asked.

"'Cause I just do."

"Is that why you two almost kissed 'bout a month ago?" Jimmy piped in. "'Cause she wasn't interested?"

Dutch and Tommy snickered.

"I ain't going with her and that's final!" I snapped. I would fuck up the entire night for sure if I did.

Bobby pouted. "Look who's getting touchy!"

I rolled my eyes.

Jimmy nudged me. "Hey, Johnny, she's looking at ya."

I glanced up immediately. Quinn and I made eye contact but she turned her head away and continued to inflate some balloons.

"I don't care," I decided.

"Stop lying to yourself, man. You know you like her," Bobby said.

Maybe things would change at the dance. Maybe if I got boozed up enough, I might be able to do something about me liking her.

"Susan, you little bitch!" Quinn shouted. I looked up, thinking she was mad, but she was laughing again while Susan poured black and yellow and orange confetti in her hair. Quinn took a handful of confetti and stuffed it down Susan's shirt and then she ran off with Susan chasing after her. Quinn was faster—of course she was faster—and she practically leaped across the gym, giggling like an idiot. God, I was crazy about her.

I turned up the volume on my Walkman and didn't look at Quinn Gray again for the rest of the day.

* * *

The next day was probably the slowest and most boring day of my life. School was dragging on for what seemed like an eternity. The dance was tonight at eight and I honestly couldn't wait. I was super curious to see what Quinn was going as. Susan and Barbara were talking loudly about their costumes, but Quinn remained silent about it. It drove me nuts. I know she'll look good in whatever she'll choose to wear, but damn it!—I needed to know.

At around eight thirty, Bobby and Tommy and Dutch and Jimmy and I walked in the gym in our tight skeleton costumes. We had them custom made—of course we would—to accentuate our muscles. Working out and doing karate paid off. I mostly wanted to wear this because Daniel had no muscles whatsoever and if he showed up at the dance, I'd easily look better than him. Yeah, I wanted to show off, but who can blame me?

Susan and Barbara were already there. Tommy and Dutch went over to them and began to flirt. They just wanted to get laid tonight. Honestly, this lifestyle began to disgust me. I don't wanna just screw girls. They deserve to be treated right—Quinn deserves to be treated right. And Daniel LaRusso could never ever give her the life I could.

"Don't worry, man, she'll be here," Bobby assured me.

"I wasn't even looking," I lied. Actually, I was dying for her to show up because there was no point in being here if Quinn wasn't gonna come.

"Right. You're such a liar, Lawrence."

"Shut your trap, Brown."

At that exact moment, we all heard wolf-whistles and cat-calls and shouts coming from near the gym doors. Bobby and Jimmy and I turned to see what the fuss was about. So did Tommy and Dutch. And what I saw made my jaw drop.

Quinn Gray walked in—actually, she strutted in—clad in the tightest black leathery bodysuit I've ever seen in my life. She had a black cowl with cat ears that covered most of her face, but her caramel blond hair flowed down her back in loose waves. She wore black knee-high boots, a pair of black gloves with sharp claws, and a black buckled belt that made her perfect little waist look even more perfect.

I nearly fainted. Honestly, I never thought Quinn Gray would wear something as sexy as this to a dance. Her breasts looked so full and her butt looked so round and her legs looked so hot… oh, God, _no_!

Bobby glanced at me and then laughed. "Someone's getting excited!"

My eyes darted down to my crotch and sure enough, I had a hard-on. But then again, it'd be hard not to when Quinn Gray was in the same room wearing the hottest costume in the world.

Dutch and Tommy nearly ran over. "Is that Quinn?" Tommy asked with wide eyes.

"Can't be," Dutch said. "Quinn Gray isn't that hot."

I smacked the back of his head. "Shut the fuck up, you peroxide sleazeball!" I snapped.

Quinn walked over to Susan and Barbara—who also had shocked looks on their faces—and she began to talk to them casually as if there weren't hundreds of boys in this room who'd gladly take her to a motel room and fuck her into the mattress. I got jealous just thinking about it. Quinn Gray was _mine_.

Dutch scanned me over. "Johnny, you"—he laughed—"have a boner already."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

He raised his hands up in defense. "Sorry. I'll just seal my lips shut and never utter a word again."

"Good."

God, I was so hard it hurt. I needed to get rid of it right away.

But just then, Quinn walked over to us. I groaned and then pushed Bobby in front of me so that he'd cover my bottom half.

"Hey," Quinn greeted. Her voice was sort of raspy and low and so freaking seductive. I swear to God, she had planned out an entire scheme to turn me on.

Bobby grinned. "Looking good, Gray!"

Quinn didn't even blush. "Thanks, Bobby. Made it myself. You don't think it's too tight, do you?"

"No!" the Cobras exclaimed.

She looked up at me. "Hey, Johnny. What's up?"

Dutch snickered. "One guess."

Tommy cackled and Jimmy also cracked a smile.

I glared at each and every one of them. "Nothing," I muttered.

Tommy had to keep going. "I'll give you a hint. It's long and-" But he couldn't finish because Jimmy clasped his hand over Tommy's mouth and pulled him into a headlock.

"Ignore him," he told Quinn. "Tommy's just an idiot."

"I know," Quinn said. Tommy frowned. "Anyways, see y'all later." And then she walked away. I stared at her butt the entire time and I was so painfully hard.

"That's it. I'm going to get rid of you-know-what," I said. "Good-fucking-bye."

I started to make my way to the bathroom when Bobby called out to me. "Roll up a joint too, would ya?"

I flipped him off. Right now, I had bigger fish to fry.


	25. Chapter 25 - Halloween (Part 2)

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

Susan was still surprised at my costume. I swear she probably wanted to kill me. The look on her face just said it all. I was hotter than her.

"_Honey, are you going to a brothel or a high-school dance? Take your pick_," she mimicked. "Goddamn it, Quinn! Why couldn't I have worn that red dress, huh? It wasn't as slutty as this!"

"Susan, that dress barely covered your ass, alright?" I said. "Besides, the only skin I'm showing is the one on my neck and my face. That's it."

"Sure. It's not like this costume squeezes the living daylights out of you and makes your boobs and butt look like they belong to a hooker."

"Oh, hush up. It ain't that tight."

Barbara snickered. "Tight is an understatement."

I rolled my eyes. "Have you guys seen Daniel?"

Susan sneered. "No, and I'm sure I could go on with my life without having to see him tonight."

"Would you stop being such a bitch?" I asked. "Why are you always going out of your way to say something mean about him, huh?"

"Because he's a no-good idiot, 'lright? Jeez, I'm only looking out for you."

I scoffed. "Right. Looking out for me."

"I _am_! You've got Johnny Lawrence practically dying to go out with you yet you're interested in some punk from Reseda."

"That _punk_ just so happens to have taken numerous beatings for me! He was there for me when Johnny Lawrence wasn't!"

Barbara cleared her throat. "Susan, you have to admit, Daniel was nicer to Quinn than Johnny."

"Why are you taking his side?!" Susan shrieked.

"I ain't taking his side! "

"You are too!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yeah, you are!"

"Can you both just shut the hell up?" I interrupted. "There's Daniel!"

Susan frowned. "Where?"

I pointed to a huge polka-dotted shower costume. "Right there."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me," I chuckled. "I just do."

I walked over to Daniel and pulled open the shower curtains. He stood there with wide eyes and I grinned.

"Oh, dear, this kitty needs a long hot bath," I purred.

"Hey," he greeted, smiling. "You've come to the right place, stranger." I stepped inside his little getup and then he slid the curtains closed behind me.

**DANIEL LARUSSO'S POV:**

Holy crap. Quinn looked stunning in her catsuit and cowl. I don't think I've ever seen a better-looking girl in my entire life. Yeah, she definitely buries Judy. Judy, my girl back in Newark, had nothing on Quinn Gray. Quinn… was definitely something else.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and smiled. A slow song began to play. We started to dance. Well, more like swaying back and forth.

"Daniel, please don't go on being mad at me," she said.

I widened my eyes. Mad at her? For what?

"I just wanted to help," she continued. "I hated seeing you and Johnny arguing and fighting because I… well, I care for you." She blushed.

My cheeks felt hot. "I know you do."

"Lose the cockiness, LaRusso."

I rolled my eyes.

"So, where've you been hiding?" Quinn asked, biting her lip.

"I haven't been hiding," I replied. Her body was so close to mine and her lips looked so soft and perfect that it took all my self-control not to kiss her.

"I just haven't really seen you around."

"You been looking?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Well, yeah. It's like you were avoiding me or something." She had a hurt look on her face and I wanted to kick myself for it.

"I wasn't avoiding you," I assured her.

"Then who _were_ you avoiding, Daniel?"

"King Karate," I muttered.

Quinn frowned. "He ain't so bad."

Oh, great. He got to her before me. That bastard. I hated him so much. I wasn't even sure how someone could hate someone else so much, but I hated him and that was the end of it.

She suddenly got a dreamy look on her face. "He's a real cool guy once you get to know him."

"Yeah, throws a real cool punch too," I said sourly.

Quinn sighed. "Yeah. He just thinks he can do whatever he wants to people and get away with it."

"Glad you think so too."

She gave a brittle smile. "It'd be pretty sweet to see him get a dose of his own medicine."

"Well, you know what they say, right? What goes around comes around."

Quinn rested her head on my shoulder, making my heart race. Her hair smelled like cinnamon. "I'd love to be there when it does."

I wondered what he'd done to make her feel this way. Probably something bad. Who cares? She wasn't all that into him anymore, which meant I actually stood a decent chance.

Quinn looked up at me and her voice suddenly turned sexier than it already was. "Wanna go outside?" she whispered.

I pretended to think about it. "You talked me into it."

She grinned and took my hand. "Let's go."

I pulled open the shower curtains and was about to lead the way out of the gym when a guy dressed in a chicken costume began to come around clucking and smashing eggs on people's heads.

I laughed. "Check out that chicken! He's wild!"

Quinn's eyes widened. "He's using _real_ eggs!"

The chicken-guy came over to us and raised his hands over me.

"No!" I shouted, but it was too late. He brought the egg down on my head and then walked away, still clucking. Great. Just great. I bet I looked real smart with a cracked egg in my hair. I'd combed my hair an extra few minutes today just for Quinn. Just so that I looked good enough for her. And now, I bet the egg yolk looked real hot on me.

Quinn giggled. At least she was amused. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I told her.

"Get cleaned up, okay? I'll wait here."

She still wanted to hang out with me so I was grateful for that. I gave her a quick nod, smiled, and then made a wild dash for the washroom.

* * *

It took me about ten minutes to wash the egg out from my hair. I made it a mental note to kill that chicken-dude when I got the chance. I wish I knew who it was. I knew for sure that it wasn't anyone of the five karate-loving idiots. They would never humiliate themselves like that.

I ran a hand through my hair again just to make sure that every bit of eggshell was out. At that very moment, a guy in a tight skeleton costume walked in.

"Johnny," he called out. I turned around and looked at him as he pounded the stall doors. He peered over the last stall and then banged on the door. "Johnny!"

Johnny looked up over the stall. He didn't have his hood up like the other guy. His blond hair stood out against his black and white makeup.

"Got the number rolled yet, man?" the guy asked. I instantly recognized his voice. It was Bobby.

"In a minute," Johnny told him, sort of annoyed.

"Alright, I'm gonna go get the guys," Bobby said.

"Okay."

"'Kay, hurry up!"

Johnny glared at him and then put his Walkman headphones back on again. Bobby started to walk in my direction so I pulled the shower curtains closed and then waited until I heard him leave.

Perfect. This was my time to get back at Johnny for everything that he has done to me. This was my time to get back at him for trying to steal Quinn away from me. This was my time to give him a taste of his own medicine. What goes around comes around. And it's gonna come around hard for King Karate.

With my shower curtain still partly, I made my way over to the janitorial sink and grabbed the black hose attached to the faucet. I hope Johnny Lawrence likes water. I slowly crept up to the stall next to Johnny's. I wasn't really careful about the noise I made because I knew he had his Walkman blasting on full volume.

I climbed up on the toilet seat and then peered over his stall. He was rolling up a joint. I don't know what Quinn could ever see in him. He'll grow up to be a junkie or something. A karate-fighting junkie with a really nice dirt bike and really expensive clothes and good looks… wait, what the hell am I saying? He's got nothing on me. I don't think he got Quinn Gray to slow dance with him in a freaking shower, did he? Even though it was just a shower costume, it still counts.

I hooked up the hose to the metal pipes above his stall and then turned on the water, running out of the washroom. I heard Johnny yell "SHIT!" behind me. On my way out, I stumbled into a Spiderman-guy.

"Watch it, man!" he shouted. "Move it, you mother fucker!"

Wow. Colorful language. I didn't bother to think about it. I ran out at full speed.

I ran into the gym, pushing past the other four karate guys dressed up as skeletons. Obviously, they'd choose to wear the same thing. I envied the way they looked. They all had muscles and abs and I was nothing but a skinny-ass twerp. _Quinn danced with you in the shower_, I reminded myself. I'll take that over abs any day.

"Get out of my way!" I screamed, pushing past the Cobras.

I ran in Quinn's direction. "Daniel, what's wrong?" she asked with an alarmed voice.

I handed her my showerhead. "It's coming around!" Then, I ran away as fast as I could.

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

It's coming around? What's coming around? What the fuck did he do? Did he mess with Johnny? My questions were answered as soon as Johnny ran into the gym. He was soaking wet—and I had to admit, Johnny Lawrence with wet hair was so fucking hot. Anyways, he was charging after Daniel and I didn't want Daniel to get hurt, so I tripped him with the showerhead, sending him plummeting to the ground. The Cobra Kai were of course right behind Johnny, and they tripped over themselves and landed on top of him. Ouch. That must have hurt.

"Get up!" Johnny snapped. They all struggled to get back onto their feet. I grinned a little but then they resumed chasing Daniel and it suddenly wasn't so funny anymore. I handed Susan the showerhead.

"If I ain't back in an hour, call the cops," I told her.

She rolled her eyes and muttered some stuff that I was pretty sure I didn't wanna hear. I didn't care. I took off after the Cobras.

The Cobras sprinted out the back doors of the school and were slowly catching up to Daniel. Of course they were. Daniel had weaker legs. The Cobras' legs were muscled and toned and oh-so perfect. 'Course they were faster.

Daniel had done some damage. Three cars were caught in an accident while a fourth car just managed to stop before it got damaged. Daniel jumped over it, getting rid of the shower costume and then ran off. The Cobras were right behind him.

I ran as fast as I could to cover more ground, but the Cobras were still faster than me. It was crazy—I think these guys used some power enhancers or something. I've seen them run before and they were nowhere near as fast as they are now. Maybe it's 'cause they were so angry. Although, I don't know why Bobby and Tommy and Dutch and Jimmy would be angry. Daniel didn't do shit to them.

I stayed hidden in the shadows as I ran along with them. They didn't notice me or hear me. It was a good thing that my boots were flat. The supple leather molded to my feet already. I should wear this costume more often. It was super comfortable, much to my surprise. And plus, it made me look so good… what the hell am I doing? I'm supposed to be worrying about Daniel. Right. Worrying about Daniel. Even though that little bastard shouldn't have done anything to Johnny. Johnny fucking left him alone for two whole months and now Daniel decides to start shit up again. I was so pissed off that I considered giving him a punch too. But the Cobras would be doing enough of that if they caught him.

Daniel was running through some dark alleyways and I didn't know where he was going, but from the looks of it, we were in some crappy neighborhood. Definitely not the hills. Maybe… maybe it was Reseda. I mean he _does_ live in Reseda, right? So maybe he was trying to run home. He climbed a fence and jumped over before running across an empty lot beside an apartment complex. The Cobras quickly scaled the fence and jumped over, running after him again. I did the same, however I was quieter and because of my completely black costume, I was sure they wouldn't notice me in the night.

Daniel jumped up and grabbed a hold of the last fence, but Johnny grabbed a hold of him and pulled him down. "You ain't going nowhere!" he exclaimed.

Tommy cackled as Dutch helped Johnny peel Daniel off the fence. Daniel made a wild run, trying to get past Tommy, but Tommy grabbed him. "Get back there, you little wimp!" he hissed, kneeing him in the stomach and flinging him at Johnny.

I hid behind a small bush. I couldn't take on all five Cobra Kai even if I wanted to. I would only get myself hurt too. And besides, Daniel deserved it. He was an idiot for doing whatever the fuck he did to Johnny. It's not like Johnny was actually gonna kill him. Getting roughed up would do him some good.

"You couldn't leave well enough alone, could you, you little twerp?" Johnny asked, grabbing his shirt and shaking him. "No, you had to push it. Well, now you're gonna pay!" He punched Daniel hard in the stomach. Okay, that was too hard. I was ready to intervene but my brain told me to stay low so I did.

Daniel stumbled forward but Dutch caught him and straightened him up. "Oh, where you goin', sweetheart?" he teased.

Johnny roundhouse-kicked Daniel in the face. No! Johnny, don't! He was enjoying himself way too much.

Jimmy grabbed Daniel and lifted him up. "How 'bout a front kick, Johnny?"

Johnny obliged, sending out a tough front kick, and then as if that wasn't enough, he belted Daniel across the face. Daniel gripped onto the fence, groaning in pain. It hurt to see him like this. I shot up, but they still didn't see me.

"Get him up!" Johnny ordered. Dutch did as he was told.

"Leave him alone, man, he's had enough," Bobby said. I froze. What the hell was Bobby doing?

"Shut up, Bobby!" Dutch sneered.

Bobby still kept going. "Look at him, Dutch, he can't even stand up!"

"So what?" Johnny called out.

"That don't mean squat!" Dutch decided.

Bobby stormed over to Johnny. "Johnny, leave him alone, man, he's had enough!"

"I'll decide when he's had enough!" Johnny snapped.

Why the hell was Bobby doing this? Why was he arguing with his best friend like this? Normally, he'd be following Johnny around like a puppy, but now… it's like he changed completely from the submissive guy he used to be to a total rebel. Was Daniel LaRusso really that important to Bobby? Why would he care so much about him? He wasn't supposed to. Maybe… maybe he wasn't doing it for Daniel. Maybe he was… doing it for me. He _did_ seem like the only one who actually wanted to be my friend out of the Cobra Kai.

_Oh, get over yourself_, my brain scolded. I agreed with it. He wasn't doing it for me. He was doing it because he was just plain stupid. Why else would he stand up against Johnny?

"What is wrong with you, Johnny?" Bobby screamed.

"An enemy deserves no mercy," Johnny said. His voice turned almost mechanical. He was sort of chanting Kreese's mantra.

"Right!" Dutch agreed.

"You're _crazy_, man!" Bobby continued.

Johnny charged towards Daniel and I knew that this kick could kill him. It could kill him. And I would have done something to stop it if it weren't for the short figure climbing the fence. Just before Johnny could land another blow on Daniel, the figure pushed Daniel out of the way and Johnny only ended up snapping the sign on the fence in half. If that would've been Daniel's head… oh God…

I realized that the short figure was actually an elderly man, and I would've laughed if it weren't for the fact that something about him made my blood turn to pure ice. I got a sudden feeling of fear. I knew this guy was serious. He wasn't someone you'd kid around with in a fight. Obviously, he had enough balls to take on Johnny and his crew in a fight. That's pure suicide right there. But he didn't seem phased by it.

"Tommy, Bobby, get him!" Johnny exclaimed.

They did, or at least _tried_ to. The old man got them down in the blink of an eye. Jimmy tried to get him too, but the old man kicked him twice and sent him to the ground. Dutch got kicked in the family jewels and went down as well.

Johnny was the only one that actually put up a somewhat decent struggle. It only lasted about four seconds, though. He got flipped over on his back and was trying to breathe properly again. No offence to him but he looked like a freaking amateur compared to the old man. He got nothing on him and that's saying something because Johnny Lawrence is sort of Kreese's prodigy.

The old man picked up Daniel, slung him over his shoulder, and opened the fence gate. Wow. Just wow. Daniel didn't have to climb the fence. He could've just swung the gate open. That could've saved him a beating. That idiot. Why must he always do things the hard way? I seriously pitied him right now, not just 'cause he got hurt but also because he's a dimwitted little twerp who can't use his head.

The old man carried Daniel inside what looked like his office and then shut the door behind him. I wanted to follow him and make sure Daniel was okay, but I felt like I would be interrupting something and that would be rude. The old guy could take care of Daniel. He saved him from the Cobras, and that's good enough for me.

So I ran off into the darkness.


	26. Chapter 26 - Dean Gray

**I personally think this chapter is pretty sad. I found it really difficult to write compared to my other chapters. Hope you guys enjoy it :) This chapter is dedicated to all you readers out there who are constantly reviewing and supporting me. Thank you :D**

* * *

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

I slammed the front door shut and then leaned back against it. I took off my cat cowl and threw it on the ground. Stupid costume. Stupid dance. Stupid Daniel. Stupid me. I decided it was all my fault. If I hadn't said anything about Johnny getting a dose of his own medicine, none of this would've happened. I'm pretty sure I had something to do with Daniel starting trouble again. It was probably all because of me. Or at least, it was _partly_ my fault. Either way, I wasn't all that innocent. If I hadn't said or done anything, Daniel wouldn't have gotten hurt. I really do _not_ know when to shut my mouth.

It suddenly occurred to me that Dean wasn't home yet. It was about nine-thirty and at this hour, he'd usually be sitting on the couch watching television. I wished he were home. I needed someone to talk to. Even though I wasn't particularly fond of him, I couldn't say I hated him. Sure, he had his bad points, but we all do, don't we? Looking back on my earlier behavior, I sort of see I was a drama queen.

My eyes began to tear up in frustration. It wasn't fair that two boys would be quarreling and beating each other up over me. God knows how many movies I watched where two guys dig the same girl, but when it happens in real life, it ain't so cute anymore. It's scary. And the worst part is, I don't even know why they like me so much. I ain't special. I ain't that pretty. I ain't even that smart. All I know how to do is to hurt people, both verbally and physically. But that's about it. I'm not sweet and funny like every other girl I know. I'm not hot and stunning like all the other chicks at West Valley High. I'm just plain old me—a loser from Oregon.

I walked upstairs and went into Dean's room. I don't know why I didn't go to mine. It was just as good as his. I lay down on his bed and buried my face in his pillow. Damn it. His pillow was softer than mine. No wonder he was always so cheerful in the morning. He slept like a king.

I was so angry with myself. I shouldn't have even bothered to come to the dance tonight. I bet Daniel was never gonna talk to me again. I screwed up big time. The sexy costume and the flirty attitude only made things worse. I should've dressed up as a murderer. Because that's technically what I am: a murderer. I murdered mine and Daniel's friendship. I murdered it in cold blood. He would probably hate me forever, and I didn't blame him. That last kick Johnny delivered could have killed him if it had hit him. It could have shattered him. It would have scattered his brains all over the ground. I could've stopped Johnny from beating him up but I was too Goddamn scared. I was nothing but a chicken. What kind of a friend am I if I let Daniel get hurt?

And then there was Johnny. That idiot. He had the right to go after Daniel, so I ain't mad at him about that. Honestly, if I were Johnny, I would've done the same. Daniel asked for it. He didn't have to start shit up again. That was his choice, and Johnny just wanted to teach him a good lesson. But Johnny got carried away. That's what I hate about him. He has no self-control. He doesn't know when to stop or when it's gone too far. And that's dangerous, especially in a fight. What would Johnny have done if he _had_ killed Daniel? Would he have run away and lived on the streets as a criminal? Would the Cobras have stuck with him the entire time? Of course they would've. They're the most loyal people I've ever seen in my entire life. They're the perfect example of what friends should be like. Not me. I screwed up everything.

But what haunted me most were Bobby's actions. He stood up against Johnny and told him off. Even though it didn't do much good, he still did it. He finally told Johnny, "No." And he was probably gonna get it bad later on. How could he have gone against Johnny like that? Why _did_ he? Why did he risk his reputation and his friendship with Johnny over Daniel? He never hesitated like that before. He freaking got Daniel kicked off the soccer team and didn't even flinch. 'Course, he apologized to me later on, but that don't mean squat. His rep was still in the way of apologizing to Daniel. So why did he suddenly forget about his rep now?

I felt even angrier at the world, and in a fit of rage, I grabbed Dean's pillow and threw it at the wall in front of the bed. But when I looked back, I noticed there was an envelope where the pillow used to be. It was small and thick and slightly faded in color. Curiosity got the best of me, so I picked it up and looked it over.

_For Quinn_

What in the hell? What was this envelope doing under Dean's pillow? It wasn't sealed closed, so I opened it. There was a letter inside—a couple of pages long. I unfolded them and began to read.

_Dear Quinn,_

_I know I haven't really been a good brother to you. I know I messed everything up big time. And I know that asking for forgiveness right now would be a pretty pointless and useless thing to do. However, I'm gonna do it anyway. Please, forgive me. Please._

_ Thirteen years ago—you were only five, I remember it so well—I walked out on you. But as much as I try to, I can't say that I regret my decision. I really don't. You may be wondering why, and here's the reason: I would have corrupted you._

_ It all started twenty-two years ago. I was only eight and I was just about the worst kid you could've ever come across. I did everything from lying and thieving to getting into fights with people twice my age. I was bad. And I know that the typical eight-year-old ain't this way, but that's just the way I lived._

_ Your mother was the nicest woman I'd ever met. Something about her was just…magical. Everything she did amazed me. I don't know why—I've seen others do the same things before—but whenever she talked to someone or smiled or laughed, I was mesmerized. I guess she had what most people would call candor. That open honesty with the world? Yeah, that was exactly how she was. Honest and innocent and perfect in every way._

Wait, hold the phone. What was Dean talking about? Nicest woman he's ever met? What? She's his mother. She gave birth to him. What the hell was he implying?

_ I lived in an orphanage and because everybody there was unwanted, people rarely got adopted. Some even grew up to be eighteen and still didn't get the family they deserved until much later on in life. Some never got it at all. I thought I was gonna be like that—unwanted and forgotten by the world—but your mother didn't think so. She took a liking to me from the start, even though I didn't know why. I was trouble and I knew she could tell, but she didn't care._

_ Every day for three whole weeks, she came and visited me. Sometimes, she even brought her husband along and he liked me too. I was fond of him as well. He was laid-back and casual and dripping with humor, so it was pretty hard not to like him._

_ One day, on a Sunday, I heard them talking to one of our orphanage's caretakers. They were whispering in hushed voices and I tried to eavesdrop but I decided not to because it would be disrespectful. Not to the caretaker, but to Mr. and Mrs. Gray. So I waited outside on the front porch and kept thinking to myself that they've come to adopt someone. I thought about everybody at the orphanage and came to the conclusion that they've come to get Rosie, the little four-year-old girl with blond pigtails and baby blue eyes who sat in the corner and drew all day. It had to be her. She never caused any trouble. Unlike me._

_ But I was wrong. They weren't there for her. They were there for me. The next day, they took me home. I didn't expect it at all. I guess I was pretty stupid at eight. Anyhow, they told me to call them Mom and Dad, and I happily obliged. I wanted them to be my parents. I wanted it so bad it hurt. And they were._

_ Your mother couldn't have any children. She and Dad talked about this. She had tried so hard to have a baby but she just couldn't. That didn't stop her from wanting kids, though. She wanted me and it felt so good to finally be wanted for once. _

_ That night, after Mom tucked me in bed and kissed my forehead and told me to sleep tight and not let the bedbugs bite, I decided to change. I didn't want to be troublesome. The Grays have given me everything I could've ever dreamed of, and it just wasn't fair to be a rebel now. They accepted me and let me become a part of their life. I just didn't want to ruin it all and be an ungrateful little brat. I didn't want them to put me back in the orphanage. I wanted them to love me and care for me._

_ They made me go to school, and I gotta admit that the first few months were tough. I still had all of my old instincts. I was still inclined to be the troublesome boy I swore I wouldn't continue to be. For example, there was a mean red-haired guy in grade five who made it his goal to pick on every single kid in school. We were on the playground one day and I was sitting all by myself on the climbers, when he came up to me and started to tease me because I loned everything. Stupid bastard. I think his name was Roger or something. Roger the red-haired grade fiver decided that he wanted to push me off the climbers. But as soon as he touched me, I twisted his arm behind his back and gave him a good kick to the head. The teacher sent me to the principal's office and called my newly acquired parents. When I saw Mom's face, I knew I'd screwed up badly. But she didn't scold me or anything, which scared me because I thought she hated me too much to even bother. But she didn't. Instead, she just lifted my chin up and looked in my eyes and said, "You're better than that, Dean. I just know you are." And those words kept ringing through my brain and I knew she was right. I was better. I was better than everybody. I was better than Roger the red-haired grade fiver. I was better than all the kids at the orphanage. I was also a conceited little prick, but that didn't matter much to me back then._

_ So, I tried to prove to the world that I was indeed better. I studied hard and did my homework and aced all my tests and got the highest average in school. I played all kinds of sports and ran seven miles every single day just so I could stay fit and strong. As I grew up, I began to hold the door for girls and compliment them whenever I thought the timing was right. I made friends—and enemies—and was just about the nicest boy anybody had ever seen. If you hadn't known me from before, you couldn't have possibly imagined that I had such a rough past._

_ And then it happened. When I was thirteen and I had just started grade eight, your mom finally got pregnant. It was a miracle—that's what the doctor said—because he thought she honestly could never ever bear children. I was so excited. We all were. I was gonna have myself a baby sister. I didn't know it was gonna be a girl at first, but I just had a strong feeling in my gut telling me it would. I even came up with your name, you know. Mom loved it. She said it was perfect._

_ May soon came along and you were born. I was there at the hospital in the waiting room. I was nervous because I didn't want you to die or anything. I didn't want you to not survive. That would've killed me. I had waited for you for nine whole months, and to have lost you then… I don't think I could've taken it._

_ But you were born perfectly healthy at 7 pounds and 7 ounces. When I first saw you for the first time, I nearly cried. Nearly. I tried to look like a man, and crying wouldn't have really helped with that. Mom was holding you in her arms and she smiled at me and told me to come closer and I did and there you were. I thought you were the prettiest thing I'd ever seen in my life. Forget the girls at school—you were a looker from the start. Dad and I hugged Mom and sat down beside her on the hospital bed and we seemed like such a happy family. Little did I know that was all going to change._

_ After you were born, Mom and Dad slowly forgot about me. They didn't care anymore if I got a good mark. All they cared about was how cute you looked in your frilly little dresses. I'd started high-school and they didn't even bother to wish me a good first day at school. At first, I thought it was normal for parents to become forgetful right after they had their first baby. I thought it was perfectly fine. What did I know about it?_

_ But things became even worse. Your parents started to put me down for every single mistake I made. If I got something wrong on a test, even if it was just one single question, they'd yell at me incessantly. And then they'd praise you and tell you how sweet you were just because you kept muttering words in gibberish. I grew sick of it—I grew sick of you. It's like nothing I did was good enough anymore. All they cared about was you. They didn't even tell me they loved me anymore. They'd completely forgotten about me. They'd forgotten about their son._

_ And I hated you for it. I thought you were going to be the perfect little sister. I thought you were going to make things a thousand times better, but you only made things worse. Before you came along, Mom and Dad loved me and only me. But then they turned all their attention to you and my life felt like it was falling apart. I felt betrayed. I'd changed everything about me just so they could love me, but they discarded me like a broken toy. That's all I ever was to them: a toy. And once they got tired of me, their old little dysfunctional toy, they moved on to a shiny new one._

_ So I stopped trying to be good. I reverted back to my previous lifestyle. I began to lie and thieve and look for fights again. I became the delinquent everybody feared. When they saw me on the street, they would cross over to the other side because they were scared of me. They were scared of what I'd do._

_ And Mom and Dad despised me for it. They said I was a bad influence. I was seventeen at the time. You were five. I was gonna be a legal adult in about a week, and I couldn't wait._

_ The truth was, I wanted to be a bad influence. Maybe then, Mom and Dad would hate you too. Just the way they hated me. But no matter what you did, they couldn't hate you. You were their perfect little angel. They could never feel anything but love for you. And that made me hate you even more._

_ So I began to corrupt you. I made you do bad things. I made you get in trouble at school. I made you start fights. I made you lie. I made you despise the world the way I did. I did everything out of spite. I did it because I wanted to get back at your parents. I didn't even call them Mom and Dad anymore. I called them names that you probably didn't even know existed. I smoked and drank and picked up girls every night. I turned our family's name to shame. And I was damn proud of it._

_ Finally, your parents had enough of me. They told me I had to change. But I said to them that I would never change for them again. I said to them that they weren't worth the change. When I turned eighteen, I finally left. I didn't want to have anything to do with them or you. I never really belonged. I was never truly part of the family._

_ I moved to California because I thought this would be a great place to start over again. I didn't want to be a degenerate. I just chose to be that way because it angered your parents. But the truth is I didn't like that life either. So, I rented a little apartment in Reseda—the crappiest neighborhood I've ever come across—and got a job and went to school and because of my final grades and my high average of 99.8%, I got a scholarship at UCLA. So I fought my way through university and tried to be good again. It was hard, but I did it before, so I was convinced I could do it again. And I did._

_ I got an even better job and more money started to come in. I got a house in 'the hills'. I felt like my life was finally going in some bright direction. But I never truly felt happy. I didn't know why at first. But after some time, I realized that I hated being apart from you. I constantly wondered how you were doing in school and which guys held the door for you and complimented you on how you looked, and I found myself missing you every single day. I hated being apart from you. I hated myself for hating you back when I was a teen. I hated myself for having been such a stupid idiot._

_ I called Mom and Dad and told them about how cool California was. I told them I hit it big and made a lot of money. They sounded happy for me and I thought that maybe they had forgiven me for the way I had behaved. I tried to forgive them too, but I just couldn't. We were no longer the way we were before. It's like we were strangers. That's how things felt between us._

_ I asked about you. They told me you were doing well in your classes and that you were doing karate after school. They said you had tomboyish tendencies such as playing the electric guitar and going crazy over cars and dirt bikes. At that point, I'd never felt more proud of anything in my entire life. My little sister was growing up to be just the way I intended her to._

_ And when Mom and Dad died, I felt guilty. I should've been there for them. I should've been there for you. But I still couldn't regret my leaving. Because if I hadn't left, you wouldn't have grown up to be the girl you are now. You would have been a degenerate and a delinquent just like I was. I would've continued to hate you and hate the world. I would've probably driven you to an early grave on purpose._

_ I wanted to tell you I loved you, but you seemed to hate me so much for leaving you. I knew Mom and Dad never told you the truth about you and I. I thought it'd be better if you hadn't ever found out. I thought that maybe you could still hang on to the image you had of your parents. I thought that maybe you could still see them the way I saw them at first._

_ But I couldn't keep lying to you or to myself. And that's why I'm writing this now. I want you to know what really happened. I want you to know who I really am. And I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world. Nothing will ever change that. Don't ever forget it._

_Your brother,_

_Dean_

That night, I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

**Yeah. Emotions galore. I almost cried at the last part. Almost. But not quite. See you all next time :)**


	27. Chapter 27 - Hating and Worrying

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

The next day, I didn't go to karate class. I don't think I cared at that point. All I did was lie in my bed and stare at the ceiling the entire morning. Dean came and knocked on my door a few times, but then he finally gave up and realized I wasn't about to get up. He left for work without saying a word.

The phone rang. I didn't bother to pick it up when it did. It stopped ringing after a minute and a half. I guess the person calling must've really wanted to talk to me since they waited that long. They should've gotten the message that I wasn't gonna pick up the phone after the first thirty seconds. Wonder who it was.

Eventually, I scrambled out of bed and took a cold shower. Then, I made myself some breakfast. I didn't really have much of an appetite, but I managed to eat it anyways without wanting to throw up too much. I picked up the remote and watched some TV for a while. And then I got up and brushed my teeth, and went back into the living room, only to watch some more TV.

I forced myself to act as if everything was normal. I forced myself to pretend nothing happened. I forced myself to believe that I hadn't read the letter. But I _had_ read the letter. And things just weren't the same anymore.

Dean wasn't my brother. He wasn't my brother at all. I realized that I didn't know anything about him. I thought I did, but I didn't. I didn't even know when his birthday was. I lived with the impression that he hadn't turned eighteen when he left me. But his letter told me different. He had waited until he was legally of age to walk out. When the hell was his birthday? It had to be either in the fall or the beginning of winter. What's even funnier is that Mom and Dad never mentioned it. After he left, they never mentioned him at all. I tried to talk to them about it at first, but then gave up because the only answer I ever got from them was, "All in good time, Quinn. All in good time."

But I didn't hate him. I didn't resent him. He left to save me. He didn't want me to end up like him. There was no way for me to hate him now. We weren't blood related, but that didn't matter. He's a Gray. He's my family—the only family I've got left. I wasn't about to just give up on him. He didn't give up on me. If he had, he wouldn't have bothered to get me to come live with him in California. He didn't have any legal obligation. I could've been put in a girls' home. He could've done that to save himself all this fighting and arguing every day. But he didn't. He didn't give up. He loves me. And I love him back.

I remembered the money-filled envelope he gave me. Three hundred dollars should be enough to get him a new guitar, right? I hope it was. I had no money of my own other than this. Well, unless you count the spare change in the pockets of my jeans… but that wouldn't really help much.

I jumped in my Charger and drove around L. A. like an idiot, trying to find a decent music store that actually sold badass guitars. After about thirty minutes of constant driving, I said to myself, "Screw it," and asked for directions. I ended up driving into Sherman Oaks on Ventura Boulevard until I found a huge store called _Guitar Center._

The salesman that decided to try and help me out was a sexist jerk. First of all, he put me down because I was interested in buying a guitar. I tried to get rid of him, but he seemed keen on helping me so I thought, why not? If he gets the job done right, I might overlook his ugly face and stupid insults. But then—oh _then_—he starts to brag about how he can play the guitar better than me. This clearly enraged me because he hadn't even heard me play before. He kept saying that it's because I'm a girl and girls can't do anything right except for cooking a decent meal and giving guys head. This enraged me even more. So I caught him by surprise and kneed him in the balls before strutting away with my head held high. I bet his image of girls changed real fast.

Anyways, I ended up looking at some _Gibson Epiphones_ because they were cheaper than the rest. The _Dove _appealed to me the most—not because of the price—but because of the maple back and sides. Another salesman came along and he told me I could try it out. I liked him better than the first. I strummed the _Dove_ a few times and then started to play a random tune just to check the quality of the strings and the wood. The sound was bright and crisp, and I instantly fell in love with the white dove on the red pickguard. I decided to buy it.

With the little money I had left, I went to a gas station and refilled the Charger. Then, I started my way home. At first, I wasn't planning on making another stop, but then I passed the dojo and it's like my brain stopped functioning for a moment. The next thing I knew, I was out of my car and inside the studio. Kreese saw me and I couldn't tell whether the look he had on was a look of disappointment or anger. Probably both.

"Where were you?" he barked.

"Out."

"Out where?"

"That is truly none of your business, sir." Who the hell did he think he was? He had no right to ask me where I've been.

Kreese paced back and forth. I noticed that some Cobra Kai students were walking out of the change room in their regular clothes. Of course they would. Class was over.

"I didn't accept you as a student for you to cut class and fool around," Kreese said.

This got me real upset because I had a good reason to skip today's practice. I had to buy Dean a new guitar after _somebody_ smashed it on the ground.

"It doesn't matter if I cut class or not," I retorted. "You still get paid either way."

He stopped pacing around and turned to glare at me. "Being a Cobra Kai is a privilege. You show up to class or you're out of here, understand?"

Johnny and the rest of the guys were now standing in the change room doorway, staring with wide eyes at me. I swear to God, at that moment, all I wanted to do was to tell Kreese that I quit. I couldn't stand to see any of the Cobra Kais anymore. I couldn't stand to go through another day of Johnny Lawrence and his blue eyes. I couldn't even look at Bobby anymore, even though he tried to save Daniel. I just couldn't do it.

"Yes, sir," I sighed. "I understand."

I could tell Johnny didn't expect that of me. He probably expected I would call it quits and say something real mean to Kreese. It sounded an awful lot like something I would've done. And I don't really know why I didn't do it. Maybe it's 'cause I didn't want to disappoint Dean. I mean he seemed so proud of me 'cause I was doing karate and all. Besides, I was only two belts away from being a black belt. I could say something real mean to Kreese once I got 'em.

Johnny and the Cobras walked outside, but before they could put any distance between them and the dojo, I rushed after them and called out.

They turned around.

"What'd ya do to Daniel, huh?" I asked, even though I knew exactly what they did.

"Taught him a lesson," Johnny sneered. "That punk-ass deserved."

Dutch mumbled in agreement.

"What'd he do to you?" I knew Daniel wouldn't tell me the truth if I asked him. But Johnny would.

"He sprayed water all over me. Freaking ruined my Walkman."

I stifled a laugh.

Johnny squinted his eyes. "You think it's funny, don't you? When _I_ ruined your guitar, it wasn't funny at all, was it?"

"It's not like Daniel had intended to ruin your Walkman. _You_ grabbed the guitar out of my hands and intentionally smashed it on the ground. That ain't cool."

"It ain't cool to be soaked with ice-cold water either!"

I sighed. "Yeah, Daniel was an idiot, I get it. But you didn't have to beat him up so bad. You could've killed him."

Tommy frowned. "How in the hell would you know?"

"I was there, dipshit," I hissed.

Johnny froze. "You were _what_?"

"I followed you. I saw how roughed up Daniel was. That last kick, Johnny? Badass. But it could've cracked his head open. Don't you ever think about what you do?"

He suddenly got even angrier. "I do! I do think about what I'm doing. _You're_ the one who doesn't think, Quinn!"

"What the hell did _I_ do?" I shouted.

"Oh, so you think coming to the dance in that tight-ass costume and then dancing with LaRusso—practically _grinding_ against him—wasn't gonna make me jealous?"

"You didn't even talk to me for almost two Goddamn months! You even ignored me during practice! What the hell was I supposed to deduce from that, Johnny? That you're freaking crazy about me?"

"Yeah! That's exactly what you should've gotten from that. I'm sorry that I wasn't all over you. I'm sorry for wanting to take things slow."

I scoffed. "Taking things slow is one thing. Ignoring me completely and brushing me off when I tried to make conversation is another."

Tommy chuckled. "Ooh, she got you, pal!"

Johnny flipped him off. "And that still isn't an excuse for you to whore around with that Reseda twe—"

I slapped him hard, though I didn't even realize it until I saw a red mark on Johnny's left cheek. Johnny's eyes widened a little, and I thought that he'd apologize or something. But he didn't. He looked like he didn't regret anything. The other Cobras were shocked at what I did, and honestly, I was shocked too. But that didn't matter much to me.

I got in my Charger and sped away, swearing profusely in my head.

* * *

As soon as I got home, the phone rang. I decided to answer it this time, mainly because I had nothing better to do. Susan's over-cheerful voice greeted me from the other end.

"Hey, Quinn! Guess what!" she exclaimed.

I grumbled. "Tell me."

"No, you have to guess."

"Just tell me, Susan. I ain't in the mood for guessing."

"Aw, come on, just one guess!"

I exhaled sharply. "Either you're gonna tell me, or I'm gonna have your family guessing where I stashed your dead body."

That shut her up for a few seconds. "Well, then," she said sourly, "I'll tell you."

"Thank you."

"That boyfriend of yours? Daniel what's-his-face? Apparently, he got beat up last night after doing God-knows-what to Johnny."

"Susan, that ain't news to me. I was there, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But get this. He came down to the Cobra Kai dojo today and had a few words with your sensei—whatever his name is—and now he's gonna compete in the All-Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament! Isn't that exciting?"

The phone nearly slipped out of my hands. "He's _what_?"

"He's gonna compete in the—"

"I heard you once, Susan! I don't need to hear it again."

I've seen the tournament flyer on one of the walls at the dojo. Bobby told me about it when I pointed it out. He said that the Cobra Kais compete there every year, and Johnny Lawrence managed to snatch first place in grade nine and eleven. Johnny was keen on winning this year too, and that would make him the first person ever to have two consecutive wins at the tournament. He's never had a real problem, although he sort of can't forgive himself for winning second place in grade ten and losing to Bobby. It didn't cause any tension in their friendship or anything, so I admired that.

But they're all skilled fighters. They're all machines when it comes to karate. Their movements are so smooth and precise and they're just about the most ruthless people I know. Daniel doesn't stand a chance. I should've gone to class today. I should've attended practice. I could've stopped Daniel from entering. I could've saved him the humiliation of getting pounded in front of hundreds of people. Not only were the Cobra Kai gonna whoop his ass, but now they got to do it in public too. Perfect. Just perfect.

"…and then Tommy called me and said he wanted to go out with me Saturday night, so I—"

"When the fuck did our conversation go from Daniel entering the tournament to just how much of a whore you're gonna be on Saturday night?!" I shouted. "This is important, Susan! He doesn't even know karate!"

"Oops. He should've thought about that before."

I groaned. "Goddamn it, Susan! Don't you have a little bit of compassion in that stone heart of yours?"

"Ouch, that hurt, _Quinn_." She practically spat out my name.

"Good." And then I hung up on her. I had more important things to worry about than her feelings, namely how I was gonna get Daniel to not compete in the tournament.

* * *

**Oh, snap! Quinn slapped Johnny! *gasps* How will he ever go on?! He sort of deserved it, if you ask me. Even though I still love him to death. But now, Quinn's got bigger problems than Johnny Lawrence.**

**See you all next time :D**


	28. Chapter 28 - Jimmy

**I had so much fun writing this chapter. I love the way it turned out. I wanted this to be a little different from most chapters, so I had Jimmy present his POV throughout the entire thing. This is what the quietest most secluded Cobra Kai saw and thought of his friends. If you guys want more of his POV, just tell me and I'll write more scenes from his perspective. I personally think it adds a little more flavor to the story.**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

**JIMMY KANE'S POV:**

I hated the way the guys were acting. It's like somebody had just died and they witnessed it all. Made me feel so freaking sick. And I just couldn't understand their reasoning.

So what if Quinn slapped Johnny? Honestly, I think he deserved it. He shouldn't have called her a whore. That's just a major no-no. You never call the girl you care about a whore. Not unless she actually slept around and acted like one. But I don't think that dancing with another guy at a school dance is considered to be a whorish act. 'Cause it's not. It really isn't. Johnny and Quinn have never been an item. They were never together. She wasn't taken. Quinn had the right to do whatever she wanted to at that dance. Johnny was just being unfair.

On the other hand, flirting with that skinny-ass twerp while knowing that Johnny was crazy about her was a very cruel thing for Quinn to do. It wasn't morally incorrect, but it was evil. Especially since she likes him back. I don't know why she won't admit it; it's so freaking obvious that she does. I guess she's just doing all these things to get back at Johnny for beating up Daniel. But hey, in Johnny's defense, he left Daniel alone for nearly two whole months. It was Daniel who started shit up again. Not Johnny. Not us. All we wanted to do was have a good time. We didn't care about that little prick. Quinn should've known that.

Normally, I could read everybody in the gang really well. I'm quiet and I don't say much, but I know more about each Cobra Kai than they know about themselves. And what pissed me off most today was the fact that they were so different from their usual rowdy selves. I hated that. And it's all because of Quinn. It almost made me hate her too. Almost.

Dutch was behaving really differently. Normally, he'd have his head held high and he'd be sporting a movie-star grin. Now, he was slouching as he walked with his hands in his pockets and his lips pressed tightly together. His chestnut brown eyes were filled with melancholy—something I'm not sure he even understood. I was quite sure that he wasn't feeling sorry about beating up Daniel. No, it had to be something else. Dutch is never sorry about anything. I couldn't figure out what troubled him, and that worried me because Dutch is one of the easiest people to figure out. He's a downright alienated aggressive sociopath. He has a constant vindictive streak and he can't love anybody. But that doesn't mean he doesn't care about anybody. I know he does. He cares about Tommy and Bobby and Johnny and I more than anything in the world. He would give up his life for us. Even though he doesn't say it, he shows it. And I know he cares.

Tommy, the usual jokester of our bunch, was not like himself at all. He wasn't smirking or smiling or carrying an amused look on his face like he normally does. Instead, he was biting his bottom lip nervously and playing with his jacket's zipper, almost like he was trying to fix it though it wasn't broken. Now, Tommy was never one to be nervous. I've known him since grade school, and he never let anything phase him. Instead, he would crack a joke about it. That's what he usually does. He had a joke for any situation, even though it wasn't always appropriate. Everything was all fun and games to him. He had an infectious laugh that could make anybody join in. But don't let that fool you—Tommy was probably the most understanding person out of us all. He knew and comprehended each and every one of our worries. He would know what was bothering us even before we did. And that's why he joked around so much. He was trying to make us feel better. He was trying to make us forget every single little thing that got us worked up. And yeah, he would sometimes be a very sarcastic individual, but he was never mean or rude. He knew exactly how to play it. Tommy was smarter than what most people give him credit for.

So to see Tommy so nervous and jittery… well, it was a sure sign that something was definitely wrong. He was worried about Johnny and what he would do. That was my best guess. Tommy's real loyal, and whatever gets Johnny worked up gets Tommy worked up too. It has an effect on all of us, actually. It's just that Tommy shows it most.

Bobby was an entirely different story. Sometimes, I think Bobby has the most morals out of all of us. He's so calm and calculated and everything he does is done for a reason. He is the type of guy who bothers to think twice before acting. He's sort of our anchor—he keeps us grounded whenever our heads are too far up in the clouds. I think that's why Johnny is closer to him than he is to any of us. We didn't mind it; Johnny and Bobby were friends since they were very little. But I think that's why Johnny can connect to him more than he can connect to anyone else in the world. It's 'cause Bobby is guided by his conscience.

Whenever Johnny and the rest of us would do something so immoral and corrupted such as beating up somebody for no Goddamn reason, Bobby would join in. But he didn't join in for the sake of it. He joined in because he knew he couldn't let us idiots do unethical shit on our own. He had to make sure that nothing went _too_ far. He did it 'cause he was our friend, but if anyone ever got out of line, Bobby would put him back in his place. I think it comes with being the eldest out of us all. For example, the Cobras were all trying to pick up girls at a bar about a year ago, and Dutch got a little too worked up when one of the girls slapped him across the face for saying something so dirty and perverted and ungentlemanly. Dutch isn't the type of guy who would abstain from hitting girls. If some chick hit him, he'd hit her back. That's just the way he was taught. I didn't blame him for it 'cause he didn't know better. But as he raised his hand to strike that girl, Bobby grabbed him and gave him a look that scared the living daylights out of all of us. I'm pretty sure Johnny was slightly intimidated by it too. Dutch froze, lowered his arm, and then went outside for a smoke. After he cooled down, everything went back to normal, but none of us could ever forget the look Bobby had on his face. He was never going to let things go too far.

And I think that's why Bobby was acting the way he was today. Because he finally let things go too far and didn't set some limits for Johnny. He knew he could've stopped Johnny from beating Daniel up. He knew he should've. But because Johnny was his friend, Bobby didn't stop him. He tried to persuade him to give up, but he should've just given him the same look he gave Dutch. Bobby isn't really one of those people who would intimidate others on purpose. In fact, after he scared off Dutch, Bobby had never _ever_ tried to pull off the same stunt again. I think it's 'cause he was scared of himself and of how terrifying he could become. I don't think he ever wanted us to see him as someone we should fear.

Bobby was staring at the road ahead, walking with his fingers hooked in the loops of his jeans. His lips were slightly parted and his dark grey eyes looked somber and gloomy. I knew he blamed himself for this. He probably thought he could've prevented this from happening. But he shouldn't blame himself. Bobby was only human after all. There's no way he could handle everything. He should know that.

And Johnny? Well, Johnny was probably the most complicated individual I have ever met. He's got everything he could've ever dreamed of. He's popular, he's rich, he does karate, he's what girls would call handsome, he can charm his way into anything, and he's got good grades… it sounded like the perfect life. But in reality, Johnny _didn't_ have the perfect life.

Johnny never told anyone else this, but his daddy left him and his mother when he was five. None of us really know what happened. Only Johnny does but he won't tell us. And we're not gonna force it out of him either because we know the guy has already been through a lot. But the point is that Mr. Lawrence walked out on his wife and son, and Johnny can't ever forgive him for that. The one person he ever admired and adored just ditched him. I think that's why Johnny is afraid of loving people. He cares about his mother, but he doesn't love her. Johnny's afraid that if he lets people get to him, they will forget about him and hurt him just the way his father did. I always thought that was the reason why Johnny never fell in love with a girl. He wanted to save himself from all the heartbreak that comes along with being in a relationship. But when he met Quinn, Johnny let his guard down for the first time and started to really feel something for her. And when she started to hang around with Daniel and make Johnny jealous, I guess Johnny just snapped. That's why he hates Daniel so much. He took away the one person Johnny was crazy about.

But I know Johnny won't go down without a fight. Because he knows that Quinn feels something for him too. She didn't hurt him the way his father did. Quinn would never do that. I know she wouldn't. She's just confused about her feelings. And Johnny was about to help her figure things out real soon.

Still, even though Johnny wasn't all that worried about Quinn and Daniel's relationship, I knew he envied that skinny little twerp. His azure eyes glinted with jealousy. His lips were pursed and I could see that he was angrily chewing the inside of his cheek. If he could, he would have beaten that kid into next year. But after what happened last night, I knew he realized that things stepped a little out of line. Quinn was right. He could've killed Daniel. But I don't think Bobby would've let that happen. He cared too much about Johnny to let him become a murderer.

We walked down our street and each of us went to our own houses. We didn't talk whatsoever. I hated it. I hated the way we had become. We were supposed to have been laughing and messing around and then Tommy and Dutch should have told us about one of their many sexcapades. I knew things had to go back to being normal. And I didn't care what it took—I was gonna make sure they did.


	29. Chapter 29 - Friends

**QUINN GRAY'S POV:**

We ran out of chips again. Damn it, Dean. Why does he always forget to buy more than one bag? It's like he's the only one living in this house and I don't exist. I was gonna have to give him a serious talking-to when he got back from work.

I was digging through the fridge trying to find something real good to eat, when someone knocked on the door. If it was Johnny Lawrence, he might as well have slit his own throat, because if I saw him I was most likely going to do it for him. I walked through the living room to the front door and then opened it, only to find Jimmy standing in the doorway. I was surprised. Jimmy rarely talked to me. Ever. And when he did, it's not like we had a serious conversation. It was mostly just, "Hey, how're you doing? You're doing good? That's cool. See ya." I honestly knew nothing about the guy other than the fact that he's one of Johnny's best friends and a brown belt in karate.

"Hey," he said. "Can I come in?"

"Uh, sure?" I hadn't intended for it to come out as a question, and I guess Jimmy didn't expect it either 'cause he raised an eyebrow.

"So can I or not?"

"Yeah."

I let him in and then shut the door behind him. Jimmy walked into the living room and then turned to face me completely, sitting down on one of the couch's armrests.

"So, what's up?" I asked, trying to sound nice. I wasn't real mad at him for what happened last night. He was just following Johnny around. It wasn't his fault.

"You gotta stop acting this way," Jimmy told me.

I frowned. "What?"

"Johnny didn't do anything bad. He just taught your boyfriend a lesson, that's all."

Oh. So that's what he came here for: to get me to forgive Johnny. Well it doesn't work that way.

"Did he send you here? Did Johnny tell you to talk to me?"

Jimmy snorted. "Johnny doesn't even know I'm here. He hasn't said a word since you slapped him. Which was _totally_ uncalled for."

"He called me a whore, Jimmy. A slap wasn't uncalled for. At least I didn't punch him."

"Oh, so that's supposed to just fix things? You hurt him, Quinn."

"I don't think a slap did _that_ much damage."

He squinted. "I wasn't talking about the slap. You knew he was crazy about you. You knew he was crushing hard on you. And what do you do? You go around and flirt with that Reseda dickhead." This really shocked me because it was coming from Jimmy, the quiet Cobra Kai who never said anything to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Daniel isn't a dickhead!" I exclaimed. "And you don't know squat about him, so shut your trap before I shut it for you!"

I stormed off into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. I gulped it down and then set it on the counter before turning around, but as I did, I found myself face to face with Jimmy, who had gotten insanely close. He braced his hands on either side of me against the counter, preventing me from leaving.

"I don't know squat about him?" Jimmy asked, slightly annoyed. "I know that he soaked Johnny at the dance after Johnny left him alone for nearly _two_ months."

I pursed my lips. "Yeah, so Daniel was an idiot. Big deal. No offense, but Johnny deserved it. After everything he put Daniel through, I'm surprised it didn't happen earlier."

"You still take that prick's side, huh? What is it about him that makes you wanna defend him so much?" His greenish-grey eyes looked down at me coldly.

"He's nice. He cares about me."

Jimmy's lips twisted into a sneer. I never expected that from him. He didn't seem like the type of person who would sneer at anybody. "Johnny cares about you even more," he replied. I rolled my eyes and tried to leave, but his arms wouldn't budge. I looked up at him and instantly froze. He looked downright scary. "You wanna know why he left Daniel alone? It's 'cause he knows you hate it when they fight. It's 'cause he knows you don't want Daniel to get hurt." He paused, running his tongue over his upper lip before stiffening. "Johnny put you first, Quinn. You think he wouldn't have loved to beat Daniel up for looking at you all the damn time? Oh, he would've. But he didn't. 'Cause he cares about you. So don't go on saying that Johnny doesn't care. He cares more than you think."

We stayed frozen like that, staring at each other for a good minute or so until the front door opened and Dean's voice echoed throughout the house. "Hey, Quinn! I'm home!" he shouted. Jimmy straightened up and sat down at the kitchen table. I heard Dean's footsteps growing louder and louder 'til he finally walked in the kitchen. "Oh, hello," he said to Jimmy. "I'm Dean. Who are you?"

"Jimmy Kane. And I was just leaving. Nice meeting you." He walked out, and I heard the front door open and shut. Dean eyed me.

"You okay?" he asked.

I breathed in and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

I watched as he dug through the cupboards, probably to find some more chips.

"No. He's just… a friend."

Dean cursed under his breath and then turned to face me. "You seen any chips?"

"You ate them all."

"Damn it." He grabbed some orange juice from the fridge and poured himself a glass. "I need to go buy some more."

Dean was about to leave when I stepped in front of him, blocking his way. "We need to talk."

He leaned against the counter, sipping on his orange juice, staring at me with a grin on his face. "Alright, what's up?"

I fingered the hem of my shirt and then stuffed my hands in my pockets. "A lot of things are up, Dean." My voice faltered slightly. I really didn't want to bring this up. I really didn't want to talk to him about it, but I had to because I needed him to know that I knew who he really was. I couldn't keep living a lie. I couldn't keep pretending that everything was okay. He had to know.

The truth was I didn't know how he would react. I didn't know whether he would still act brotherly towards me, or whether he would become a cold-hearted monster. I didn't want him to turn on me the way our parents turned on him. I didn't want him to hate me again. That'd be worse than death.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." I sat down at the kitchen table and clasped my hands together. "Dean, I found something real important."

His grin got bigger. "A brain?"

Normally, I would've rolled my eyes and laughed, and then I would have probably slapped his shoulder playfully and come up with some snarky remark.

"A letter," I said, quietly.

Dean's grin fell from his face. "What?"

"I found a letter. Addressed to me."

He forced himself to smile again. "Where'd you find it?"

"In your room, under your pillow," I replied.

His expression turned blank. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. His hazel eyes were looking back into mine, almost as if he was trying to destroy any memories I had of the little white envelope and its contents. Dean blinked and then looked down at the tiled floor. "So, I guess you know."

"Yeah." I paused. "I know."

Dean's bottom lip quivered, almost as if he was going to cry. I couldn't picture him crying though. He always looked so tough and worry-free. I would've never thought that he could break like normal people can. Dean ran a hand through his light brown hair and then looked back at me. "Look, I get that you probably hate me now, but—"

"I hated you before."

"Yeah, well, I get that you—"

"I don't anymore."

Dean's eyes widened. "You what?"

"I don't hate you anymore," I repeated, a little louder. "I was quick to judge you, Dean. I thought you were nothing but a soulless creature for walking out on me, but I never knew why you did what you did. It's just so much more than teenage rebellion."

"A-and you don't despise me for abandoning you? You don't loathe me for hating you?"

I shook my head. "Do _you_ loathe me for hating you?"

Dean sighed and cracked a small smile. "I guess not. You had good reasons to."

"Well, you had good reasons to hate me too."

He stayed silent for a few seconds. "I guess we're not really brother and sister anymore."

"Nah. We're more than that now." I grinned. "We're friends."

Dean looked up at me, and his lips curled back into a warm smile. "Yeah. Yeah, we are."

And I knew nothing was ever going to change that.


	30. Chapter 30 - Kisses

I stormed up to Daniel on Monday morning. He got his navy blue backpack out of his locker and then shut it closed. I leaned against the locker beside his with a cold glare on my face. When Daniel saw me, he broke out into a cheerful grin.

"Hey, there you are! I've been looking all over for you today," he said. "Where've you been?"

"You little shit," I hissed.

He winced. "Jeez, Quinn, what'd I do?"

Oh, the nerve! Was he really gonna stand in front of me and ask me what he did? Did he forget what happened on Friday night? Did he forget his freaking stunt? I walked off, looking for the Cobra Kai. I needed Johnny and Daniel to agree to drop the whole tournament idea. I needed to make sure they never fought again.

"Where're you going?" Daniel asked, following me.

"I'm gonna go find that other idiot and this whole thing with the tournament is gonna stop," I told him.

"No, no! It's all taken care of!" he protested. What? Did he seriously just say that?

"Oh, yeah, sure. Until the next time you spray water all over Johnny again?"

"Look, I promise there isn't gonna be a next time," Daniel assured me, placing a hand on my shoulder. His brown eyes were really wide, and I could tell he just wanted me to drop it—and I might have done it too—but I knew that if I _did_ drop it, he would do nothing but get his ass kicked again.

"There they are," I said, looking past his shoulder.

"Hey, watch this," Daniel said, grinning. Then, he swaggered over to the Cobra Kai. I almost gave myself a facepalm. Does the kid never fucking learn?! "Hey, guys, how you doing? It's good to see ya." Then, he got all up in Johnny's face. "Sorry 'bout the eye, Johnny. Your shoulder okay, Tommy?" He was acting like he was their freaking friend and it annoyed me to no extent. That little punk just didn't know when to quit. Johnny was probably gonna kick the crap out of him after school. "You guys, be careful not to go stepping in front of any more buses now, alright?" Then he started to walk away but I wasn't done with him so I followed him, glancing back over my shoulder at the Cobra Kai.

I wanted to punch Daniel and I saw Johnny did too. He threw his binder on the ground and almost stomped over to Daniel, but Bobby held him back. "Hold it! Remember what Sensei said? Gotta wait for the tournament."

"Must be "Take a Worm for a Walk" week!" Tommy shouted at us. Oh, I would've turned around and kneed him in the balls so quickly his head would spin. But I didn't. 'Cause I knew he was just being loyal to Johnny and not saying anything about Daniel and me would look terrible. I gotta give him credits for the quote, though. It almost cracked me up.

Daniel was walking with me, telling me about how he fought off the Cobra Kai all by himself. That little liar. I was there too; I know what I saw. He didn't do shit except for getting his head nearly kicked in. But I decided not to tell him that 'cause I would have to do a whole lot more explaining to do as to why I was there, and besides, it was kind of cute to see him bragging just to impress me. I had to keep reminding myself I was mad at him. Otherwise, I would've probably been enjoying myself or something.

"You did all that damage?" I asked skeptically.

Daniel was smirking cockily. "Don't you know when you make a wish in the shower, it always comes true?"

Last time I checked, Daniel, I didn't wish for you to get your butt whooped. "Should've kept my mouth shut."

"Nah, we've got an agreement."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? What's that?"

"Well, they agreed not to beat up on me and I promised not to get my blood on their clothes, that was it."

"I don't believe you," I said. "You're gonna fight at a damn tournament, Daniel. This isn't some silly game. This is serious. You're gonna get your butt kicked _again_."

He looked a little hurt to hear the truth coming from me since I wasn't ever that blunt and harsh with him. I usually flirted and acted as nice as possible, but I cared about him too much to keep pretending that everything was okay. "Eh, what am I gonna do? Moan and groan?"

I scoffed. "Anybody else would."

"Who'd listen anyway?"

I shrugged. "Me." And it's true. I would.

He looked at me and we stopped walking. "Oh, really? You, uh, feel like listening on Saturday night?"

Smooth, Daniel.

"Will you promise not to get in any more trouble? And leave the Cobras alone?" I replied.

He nodded. "Sure."

"Then yeah. I'd be willing to listen." I took out a paper and wrote down my address on it while he kept talking.

"Alright, great! So, Saturday night… we'll go out, we'll have a good time, we'll do whatever…" He cleared his throat. "Is that your address?"

"No shit."

"Where is this?" he asked as I handed him the paper.

"Encino." The bell rang and I smiled. "I gotta go." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Johnny and the Cobras walk into the courtyard. They stood about three meters behind Daniel, just waiting. Oh, shit.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later," Daniel said to me as I walked off.

"Sounds good." I waved goodbye and then walked off to class with a little spring in my step.

* * *

"Dean, how does this look?" I asked for the hundredth time.

Dean was playing with a yo-yo on my bed. He glanced up at me and shook his head. "Too conservative."

"Jeez, I'm not going to a strip club!" I exclaimed. I was wearing a light blue sweater and some jeans. I've tried on different clothes for the past half-hour and Dean disliked each and every combination I came up with.

"No, you're going on a date. Now, remember. You want to flaunt your body, not hide it. Leave the dull stuff for school and go all out when you're with a guy."

I placed my hands on my hips. "And since when are you a fashion expert, huh?"

He pretended to flip his hair. "Oh, doll, I've always been a fashion expert."

I rolled my eyes and then grabbed a handful of clothes from my dresser, going into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me. "This is the last time, Dean. If you don't find anything you dig, I'm gonna cut you."

"Yeah, yeah, we both know you care about me too much to hurt me," I heard him say from the other side.

"You'd be surprised, buster."

I put on a light low-cut pink peplum shirt, and some black denim pants, but then I realized that the shirt was very tight and it made my breasts look a little bigger than usual. I was about to decide against it, but I had a feeling Dean would love this one. So I walked out of the bathroom and cleared my throat.

Dean was focusing on his yo-yo so he didn't hear me. I cleared my throat again and he finally looked up. His eyes went wide. "Quinn, your boobs!"

I glared at him. "Focus, Dean. How does it look?"

"How does it look? Man, this is the best outfit I've seen all evening!"

"I feel like a slut."

"You're not. You're just a really attractive girl going out on a date."

I scoffed. "Yeah, not helping."

"Dude, just trust me. When you go out with a guy, if you don't give him a boner, then you've failed completely."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah."

I shrugged. "Whatever you say. You know what guys like. Who am I to contradict ya?"

"Exactly." I glanced out the window and saw a car—a crappy one at that—pull up in front of my house. I ran downstairs and opened the door before Daniel could even knock.

"Hi," I said, grinning.

Daniel's eyes went wide. "Hey!" They moved down to my chest and I blushed a little. I don't think he noticed. He was too busy preoccupying himself with my breasts. Finally, he blinked and looked up at me. "How are ya?"

"Good," I replied.

He glanced at the rest of my body and then his warm brown eyes met my hazel ones again. "You look nice. Real nice."

"Thank you."

Daniel's eyes flickered behind me and then froze. I looked back and saw Dean leaning against the doorframe. "Uh, hi," Daniel said.

"This is Dean. He's my brother," I informed him. Dean straightened up and then held out his hand.

"Nice to meet ya. Daniel, right?"

"Y-yeah." They both shook hands and I almost laughed at how tense Daniel was.

"So, where are you two lovebirds goin', huh?" Dean asked, winking.

I shot him a look. "I don't know. Where are we going, Daniel?"

He shrugged. "Wherever you wanna go."

"_Golf 'N Stuff_?" I suggested.

"Alright, I guess we're going to _Golf 'N Stuff_, then." He was absentmindedly kicking at a brick, knocking it down. His eyes went wide as soon as it hit the ground. "I-I swear I didn't mean to"—he bent down to pick it up and place it back—"do that."

"Oh, don't worry 'bout that," Dean assured him. "We're gonna get it fixed anyway. Quinn, I thought you were gonna get it fixed."

I rolled my eyes. "I will."

"Where do you live, Daniel?"

"Out, like, uh, Reseda," Daniel answered reluctantly.

Dean grinned. "I used to live there too."

Daniel's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah. It was the first place I ever lived in when I moved to California."

"No kidding!"

"I swear it was!"

"Mine too! I mean, it still is."

I loved how well they got along with each other. I appreciated the fact that Dean was being real nice and kind instead of an inappropriate little bastard. That's what I thought he was gonna be like. He struck me as the type of person that would. But he just played it normal and was befriending Daniel real easy.

"Is that your mother?" Dean asked, motioning to the woman in the car.

Daniel smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, that's her."

She rolled the windows down and stuck her hand out the window, waving. "Hi!" I stifled a laugh.

"She's, uh, waiting for us," Daniel said. "We'd better get going. It was nice to meet ya."

Daniel and I walked down the front steps. "I feel like an idiot," he muttered to me.

"You were fine. He loved you."

"You sure?"

I gave him a reassuring grin. "One hundred percent positive. And even if he didn't—though he did—it wouldn't matter to me 'cause _I_ like ya and that's all that you should care about."

"Glad you feel that way."

We reached his car and I leaned forward to talk to his mother. "Hi, Mrs. LaRusso! I'm Quinn." I got in beside her.

"Hi, Quinn," she said. "Call me Lucille. That's a beautiful house you have!"

"Aw, thanks!"

She turned the key in the ignition, but the car would not start. I glanced at Daniel and he was giving his mother the most serious look in the entire world.

"Uh, can you drive a stick?" Lucille asked. I nodded. "Good. Put it to second, let it roll, and when I say 'pop it', pop it."

"Pop it," I repeated. "Alright." As soon as she got out, I shifted to the driver's side and got myself ready.

Daniel got out of the car, slamming the door. Poor guy. I bet he thought this looked real terrible in front of Dean and me. Truth was I didn't care. He was sweet, his mother was sweet, and we were gonna have ourselves a good time tonight. And besides, Dean must've known what this felt like. Money wasn't something everybody had. It wasn't like the world was going to end because a car wouldn't start. Especially if it was a crappy car.

"Don't worry!" Lucille called out to Dean. "It's all under control." Then, she muttered something under her breath to Daniel. "It happens all the time!" she assured my brother. "Okay, LaRusso, push! On, you huskies!" I fought hard to keep myself from bursting into laughter. "Okay, pop it!"

I did as she instructed me and then slid over in my seat when she and Daniel got in.

"Oh, ho! We got it on the first try!" she exclaimed.

Daniel was just about to die with humiliation, and I wanted him to just realize that this was all so cute to me.

The drive to _Golf 'N Stuff_ was pretty smooth. Lucille and I talked some more about California and since we were both new to the area, we exchanged stories about how we each got lost while trying to find our way. I never once mentioned anything about Daniel and the Cobra Kai. That would've just killed everything. Besides, I didn't want to think about Johnny Lawrence. Tonight, it was just Daniel and I. That was it. That was all I'd think about.

Lucille parked in the parking lot and then Daniel and I got out of the car. "Alright, I'll pick you up at eleven," she told her son. "Please, don't be late. Have fun!"

"Thanks, Ma," Daniel said, and then I shot the door, waving as she drove off.

"Hey, look at that slide!" he exclaimed beside me.

"Yeah. We'll come back and do that next time. Come on." I started to walk towards the Arcade.

"Why next time?"

"'Cause we need bathing suits."

He nodded. "Oh, yeah. Bathing suits."

Did he have anything else in mind? Oh, that horny bastard.

"Do you play hockey?" I asked.

"Oh, you know, not professionally."

"Good. 'Cause neither do I, but there's this game that we should try…"

* * *

I had the best time of my life. First, Daniel and I tried out a couple of games at the Arcade and he ended up winning at hockey and foosball, but I whipped his butt at the skeet shooting station. Then, we tried out some golfing, and although I wasn't a huge fan, I sort of knew how to play. At one point, I had my arms around him in order to teach him how to take a shot, and the way he was blushing made me giggle several times. He didn't get the ball in—it rolled along the edge and decided to be a bitch at the last second—but he and I were laughing so hard that it didn't matter.

After golfing, we went on these tiny little round boats on the water and fooled around. I was steering just 'cause he was a gentleman and let me. Then, we went racing and he won and kicked everybody's butts. It was real funny to see him get so excited over it. He and I went on the trampoline after, and it was just us two in this private little area, and we had a competition to see who could jump the highest but we both ended up tying.

And then he and I went to the photo booth to take some pictures. And as we sat down and got ready, Daniel took my hand in his and our fingers intertwined themselves, making me nearly die of happiness. The pictures were taken and then we looked at them and Daniel thought he looked hideous but I assured him he didn't 'cause he actually looked pretty adorable.

At the end of the night, Daniel bought us a slushie and then we sat down in a quieter place and talked and laughed. Neither of us bothered to remember Johnny Lawrence or the tournament.

"And then I got poison ivy and everything just sucked," he concluded. He told me the story of how he met his two best friends in the entire world.

"It couldn't have been _that_ bad."

"Oh, man, it was terrible! I had rashes all over my body!"  
I chuckled. "Okay, I take it back. It must have been horrendous."

"Yeah, it was!" He leaned back. "But I lived through it."

"'Course you did. You're tough."

Daniel puffed out his chest. "Obviously."

And after we were done the slushies, we had pizza right before leaving. As we were walking out into the parking lot, I couldn't help but wonder whether it'd be right to kiss him soon.

"Man, this is the best time I've had since I've been here," Daniel said.

"I guess we'll have to do it again," I replied. My hand was in his, and it felt so right. I leaned in a little more and then he gave me one of his award-winning grins.

"Yeah, I guess so too."

And then our lips met, and it wasn't one of those hungry, sex-crazed kisses that you see on TV. No, it was nothing like that. It was short and sweet and romantic and just plain perfect. I felt like I was flying—soaring way past cloud nine or something. I felt like I finally found someone with whom I can be happy and whom I can trust with my heart, knowing he won't break it.

But that's when I finally started to think of Johnny. I thought of the way _his_ lips would feel on mine, and then I wondered how good his hands would feel roaming down my body, pulling me closer to him. I thought of the way he'd deepen the kiss and slip his tongue inside my mouth and show the world that I was his and he was mine. I thought of all that and I tried to give Daniel and his kiss all my attention. I tried to push Johnny to the back of my mind and focus on what I was doing now, but it just didn't seem to work. He was always there, reminding me that this wasn't as right as I thought it to be.

Someone honked and Daniel and I both pulled away. He glanced behind him and I glanced over his shoulder, seeing a red Avanti pull up in front of us.

"Hey, Quinn!" Tommy shouted, sneering. "How's it going?"

"We're going to the hills," Susan said. "You wanna come?"

"No, thanks," I replied. I noticed that Susan and Barbara were both in the backseat with Tommy, and I thought to myself, _that guy will always be a ladies man_. Johnny and Dutch were in the front, and I could see that Johnny was gritting his teeth and gripping the steering wheel hard. Did he see the kiss? I hope he did. I hope he knew that he was not the only guy who had an effect on me.

Susan and Barbara and Tommy started to protest. Despite the fact that Tommy might've acted rude at some points, I knew he meant well. He was a good friend to Johnny, and I admired that. I really did. I didn't have anything against him. It was Johnny I disliked.

"You guys have a good time," I said, holding onto Daniel even tighter. Tommy's gaze dropped to my chest, and I could tell that everyone in the car was looking at that, including Johnny. Daniel noticed it too, and he wrapped his arm around my waist protectively.

"Come on, we'll make room!" Tommy exclaimed, still looking where he really shouldn't have been looking. I saw Dutch groan, and that's 'cause he and I aren't exactly too friendly to each other. He cares a lot about Johnny and he probably thinks I'm nothing but a bitch for doing the stuff I do. I don't blame him. I'd think I'm a bitch too if I were him.

Lucille pulled up behind us, and Johnny noticed the crappy car. He gave a smirk. "Your little friend can come too, if it's okay with his mommy."

Tommy and Dutch laughed. Susan and Barbara looked real amused too. Those bitches. Those fucking bitches.

"Hi, kids!" Lucille said as bright as a ball of sunshine.

"Hey, Mommy, can Daniel come for a ride?" Dutch teased.

"I really like your car, Mrs. LaRusso!" Tommy cackled as they drove away.

I could tell how hurt Daniel was. He was no longer smiling like he had before. He was no longer happy. He was just hurting real bad and I wish Johnny wouldn't have shown up tonight. Why did he have to ruin everything? Jeez, I despised him so much at that moment that it stung.

"It's okay, Daniel," I assured him. There wasn't much else I could say, and I'm sure he didn't want to hear some huge speech about how they're nothing but cretins and lowlife scums.

We walked to the passenger side in silence until he said, "You know, you could've gone."

That hurt me. Did he really expect me to just ditch him for some assholes and go party in the hills? Did that kiss not show him that I cared a lot about him? I've been the one sticking up for him all this time, choosing to be seen with him at school, getting into arguments with the people who should've been my friends because they didn't like him… and now Daniel just tells me that _I could've gone_?! I know I could've gone, but there was a good fucking reason for not going! He matters more to me than some fucking party on the rich side!

"I didn't want to, okay?"

"It's no big deal," Daniel continued.

"Look, if I really wanted to go, I would've," I replied, my voice cracking a little. My eyes started to sting, almost as if I was about to cry. But I didn't want to cry 'cause that would just make me look weak.

"It makes no difference to me. Do what you wanna do, I don't care," he said as we both got in the car.

I stayed silent, knowing that there was no point in trying to tell him again that I didn't want to go. I just wish he would've known that I cared about him a lot more than I care about anybody else. Possibly even Johnny.

_No, not Johnny_, a voice said at the back of my head. I was too tired to argue with it too, so I just shut my eyes and tried to figure out what I was going to do about this whole situation.


End file.
